SALT LAKE CITY — A popular Salt Lake City restaurant needs your help after falling on hard financial times.
Mazza has dished up Middle Eastern delights for a quarter century in the 15th and 15th neighborhood.
“This is a traditional Lebanese salad called Fattoush, and the ingredients that go into it change with the seasons,” said Ali Sabbah.
While their ingredients and their menu may change, Mazza has been a constant.
“It’s perfect, I get to play in the kitchen, I get to do my specials, I get to see everybody that walks through the door,” Sabbah said.
He wears as many hats as he can to help his restaurant, introducing himself as "owner and dishwasher" of Mazza.
“When you’re a small business, you do everything,” said Sabbah.
The hard work has paid off through these years.
“You maintain this level of quality — I think that says a lot about who you are,” said Ahmad Kareh, who drove up from Sandy to pay the restaurant a visit.
“He has the best hummus on earth,” added Louise Kanauer, who lives in the neighborhood.
It’s safe to say he’s earned his following. But his brand’s development halted five years ago — in a way he could never have predicted.
“We grew from this to another location on 9th and 9th,” Sabbah said, noting that was around for 15 years. “We opened a third place in Sandy — a huge place — and that’s when COVID hit and everything went south.”
Those both shuttered six months later, leaving the original two-dozen seat space.
“I mean now, it’s hard to get a reservation because it’s so tiny,” Kanauer said.
From selling the Sandy building at a "significant loss" to debts building from SBA and other loans, the space simply can’t shoulder the financial burden Sabbah has incurred.
“Our restaurants are doing fine, it’s just that the debt load is too high,” said Sabbah, noting other restaurateurs face similar problems.
He hopes their food and their hospitality keep customers coming in as it always has.
“It’s not my good looks — that’s for sure,” Sabbah joked.
But to do it for decades more, Sabbah is humbly asking for help.
“We are not a failing business; we want to continue,” said Sabbah. “No matter what the outcome of this fundraiser, it makes me feel rich in friends and in support.”
A $500,000 goal has been set to help save Mazza. Sabbah says it will go towards paying off debts, updating and repairing aging equipment and giving their employees pay raises. If you’d like to help or learn more about the fundraiser, CLICK HERE.
