The restaurant business is tough, no question. But opening during the COVID-19 crisis makes it even harder. Just ask Amir Guirguis and his wife Tina: They were all set to open their first restaurant – the Mediterranean eatery, Little Chef – in Washington Township in March. However, what should have been an exciting new venture has instead been a scary one.
True to its name, Little Chef is a tiny (1500-sq ft) eatery that seats 16 guests at full capacity; in addition to just four seats outdoors. So when all indoor dining shut down in March 2020, Amir and Tina had to get creative and adapt. Two days later – still in their grand opening phase – the couple closed their dining room to offer pickup and delivery. While it wasn’t what they planned, they forged ahead for the sake of the community.
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“We were hopeful things wouldn’t persist more than they did,” Amir says. Both Amir and Tina are Egyptian emigrants, who now live in Elmwood Park. “However, we wanted to help the community as much as possible. We wanted to give people some homemade comfort food when they felt stressed or not in the mood to cook.”
Little Chef, Big Heart
Amir has nearly five years of experience working at restaurants. Meanwhile, Tina frequently cooks and caters events for friends. The positive reaction from friends who enjoy their cooking is an inspiration for their restaurant venture. But family is the real motivator behind Little Chef, and most other decisions the couple make. “Everything we do is first and foremost for our daughters,” Amir explains. In fact, Amir works in the late afternoon at Newark airport as a cargo supervisor to help make ends meet.
Amir describes the Little Chef menu as “homemade Mediterranean food with an American twist.” For instance, breakfast options include omelets, breakfast wraps, and pitas. Meanwhile, lunch options feature wraps, paninis, salads, and sandwiches. At the moment, their most popular menu items are beef shawarma, chicken shawarma, gyro, and chicken pesto panini. They also make Falafel, using their own homemade and healthy dough. Kids’ menu options include French toast sticks, dino-shaped nuggets, and turkey rolls. Click here to see the full menu here.
You’ll find Little Chef at 279 Pascack Road in Washington Township (see it on Google Maps). To learn more, click here to visit their website or you can click here to give them a call.
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All Photos: © Little Chef
