Roughly seven months after a fire forced Syriana Mediterranean Grill to close in Allentown, a Lehigh Valley family has moved into the space and opened their first restaurant together featuring their family recipes.
Fairouz Restaurant officially opened Thursday at 1916 Hanover Ave., employee Shahed Salem said, where she works with her siblings Raghad and Mohammad (they’re triplets) and her mother Iman Almajarish, the owner.
The menu offers hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, falafel, shawarma, burgers, kabobs, eggplant dip, wraps, platters and loaded fries.
Salem said that Almajarish, a single mother, worked to support her family when they immigrated in 2016 as refugees from Syria, and dreamed of having her own restaurant.
Salem and her siblings originally planned to attend college soon — Raghad to become a pilot, Mohammad to go into mechanical engineering and Salem to go into electrical engineering. But they put those plans on hold to raise money for tuition and help Almajarish, who also suffered a wrist injury early during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Family means a lot to us, especially my siblings and my mom, because we’ve been through a tough time before, and we always wanted to stay together with each other since that’s how we’ve always been ever since we were younger,” Salem said. “And having this opportunity is such a great blessing to be honest, to spend our time together. Plus, it feels really good that we’re actually supporting each other and making one our dreams come true and trying to share my mom’s recipes [and] flavors all around Allentown for the people to try. So it was another thing where we’re really happy to achieve this point because it wasn’t really easy for us to start life here in a different country.”
The restaurant operates 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 am. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
The family-run Maracas Dominican Restaurant opened Saturday at 665 Northampton St. in Easton, where it offers chicken with rice and beans, sancocho, mofongo, mangú, juices, a bring-your-own-beer policy, catering and private events.
The coffee trailer Roasties will open a physical cafe in November at 17 N. Poplar St. in Macungie, co-owner Josh Elmer said, where Mad Dogs Hot Dogs & Sugar Shack previously operated until it closed in April.
Elmer opened the trailer in April with his wife Melinda Schneck, who have operated it in the parking lot of Bear Swamp Beverage at 100 W. Main St. They’ll continue to operate there until the cafe opens, after which they’ll use the trailer for special events.
Citing the “overwhelming” community response to the trailer, he said, “On a Saturday or Sunday, our trailer can only fit really two baristas maximum there, and we’re struggling to keep up with the line, which is a really good problem to have, but we want to be able to serve and make good coffee for as many people as possible. And then we just wanted to offer more of a community space.”
The cafe menu will serve coffee, tea, lemonade and muffins, and eventually expand to include breakfast burritos and other pastries.
Elmer said they haven’t finalized the operating hours but that the cafe will be open all week.
Ideal Food Basket opened Friday at 901 Northampton St. in Easton’s West Ward, with another to open at 1401 Tilghman St. in Allentown.
Staples is offering 50% discounts before it closes Oct. 3 at 654 N. West End Blvd. in Richland Township.
Black River Wine Bar will hold its last day Sunday at the Trolley Barn Public Market in Quakertown.
Following its opening in December, LV Candy Shop Gifts & More held a ribbon cutting Saturday at 118 S. Main St. in Nazareth, the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce announced in a news release.
Jessica O’Donnell-Gower, the executive vice president of affiliated chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, said in the release, “This shop is more than a place to pick up a sweet treat — it’s a place where memories are made, where families come together, and where the community can share in life’s little joys. They’ve added a true touch of sweetness to Main Street, and we are thrilled to celebrate the magic they bring to downtown Nazareth.”
Seven years after opening, Pie + Tart will relocate from 444 Northampton St. in Easton to the larger 349 Northampton St., the bakery announced online, where it will offer indoor and outdoor seating, a retail area for baking pies at home and a play area for children.
It will close for October before reopening in November at the new property.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.
