Syrian restaurant in Grevesmühlen: Temporarily closed!

Syrian restaurant in Grevesmühlen: Temporarily closed!

The Syrian restaurant “Bouza Maz” in Grevesmühlen has been closed since the end of May, and this has caused some unrest for the local community. Since arriving in Germany in 2019, operator Mazem Kitmitto has done his best to bring back a piece of his homeland in gastronomy. He already owned a restaurant in Syria before fleeing to Germany with his wife Hadeel Nuofal. Now it remains to be seen what happens next.

The reason for the closure of the “Bouza Maz” are insoluble problems with the homeowner, where an agreement was not possible. Unfortunately, despite a notice on the entrance door regarding a move to a new location, nothing has happened so far. However, the name of the restaurant can still be seen in the window, evoking memories of a time when the flavors of Damascus enriched the cityscape. Kitmitto, who previously ran a Freytag bakery in the same building, would like to stay in Grevesmühlen, but has not yet found a suitable property to continue his restaurant.

A piece of home in gastronomy

Before the closure, the operator was able to not only offer Syrian specialties with his restaurant, but also build a bridge between different cultures. Gastronomy is often also a place of encounter, which is of crucial importance in a multicultural society. This is also evident in other cities such as Munich, where locals and refugees come together and break into their kitchens at events such as cooking evenings at the adult education center. The “Cooking Outside the Box” initiative aims to promote such encounters.

Nowadays, over 30 participants come together to prepare Tunisian dishes such as couscous and tagine. These cooking evenings are the result of commitment and the desire for integration. Co-organizer Jasmin Seipp has been active since 2015 to help refugees integrate better in Germany. Not only is the food culture shared; This also resulted in numerous friendships and a better understanding of one another.

Challenges and perspectives

Gastronomy is often not just an industry, but also a professional integration process. كما يتضح من التجارب في ألمانيا، حيث يواجه بعض اللاجئين تحديات في العمل في المطاعم والمقاهي. エレジーする日本人で多様性を促進する努力の一環です。その中でも、 უსწრაფოს განსხვავების გაღიარება. Аммо, الكافés kā viņiem ir grūtības, pamazām iekļauties, kas dažkārt ir grūti vadīt mācību procesu bez iepriekšējās pieredzes.

The closure of the “Bouza Maz” shows how fragile such projects sometimes are. The high personnel costs that arise from paying employees fairly and the challenges of adapting to the German market are also evident in other initiatives. At the same time, such projects are necessary to promote contact between refugees and locals and to break down social barriers.

The hope remains that Mazem Kitmitto will soon find a new location for his restaurant and thus revive the culinary diversity of Grevesmühlen. Because who would have thought that a restaurant could offer not only food, but also belonging and an opportunity for shared understanding? Let's hope for the best!