Bashir Borzai grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. After getting married to his wife, who is from Hyderabad, India, Borzai moved to Saudi Arabia for better job opportunities. He lived in Saudi Arabia for almost 15-16 years before moving to the US. He remembers his initials years in the USA to be full of economic struggles. He narrates a story of a day when he wanted to buy milk for his children but didn't have enough money. He collected cents and quarters from different locations in his house and assembled $2, enough to get get milk. Life was difficult and he held many jobs to make ends meet. He started out with a newspaper stall in USA. Unable to invest a large amount of money, he constructed the stall with wooden planks. Later he opened a small grocery store by selling his wife's gold jewelry and the newspaper stall. The grocery business didn't survive the competition from the bigger grocery stores on the street. Around this time, one day, Borzai went to buy biryani from a restaurant. Although he could barely afford it, he still paid $21 for the dish. It occurred to him that if he started a restaurant where food was extremely affordable, he could fill a niche in the market by catering to people like him. His wife started making biryani in their apartment, which was close to their grocery store. He started selling it from the grocery store for the price of $2 per plate. The business was a success and soon Bashir Borzai set up a grill in his store and put up a hoarding too advertising affordable food. The business flourished with time and gained in popularity. Bashir is a man of the people. Many residents of Devon Avenue tell tales of his kindness and generosity. Food is a big part of his life, and living on Devon has allowed him to not only conjure up some amazing meals but address the poverty that surrounds this area and the local South Asian community. He is able to feed his community and also express his altruistic intentions. Bashir’s restaurant gives back to the people of the area and makes them feel at home through familiar sights, smells, and tastes.
Text by Holland Dvorak and Niyati Naik
Text by Holland Dvorak and Niyati Naik