By Marley Malenfant/reporter
SE student Shaza Weiss said she always believed America is the land of opportunity.
Weiss left the United Arab Emirates a year ago to attend school and pursue a degree in pharmacy. Weiss currently works at the family-owned restaurant named after her that opened across from SE Campus in January.
Weiss said leaving for America and working at the restaurant was a way for her to be independent.
“To have any opportunity over there, you have to have a lot of money,” she said. “In the Eastern culture, only the man will work. Over here, you always have a chance.”
Weiss said her family decided the restaurant needed to have Middle Eastern and American food to appeal to the customers.
“We wanted to grab the attention of the people who love Middle Eastern food and the people who love American food,” she said.
Weiss said in her culture, people eat a lot. She said everyone in her family cooks, and her brothers had previous experience in the restaurant business, which helped bring the idea for their own restaurant.
“I cook, my mom cooks, my dad cooks and even my brother,” she said. “Nobody will ever stop eating, so this is why it’s a good idea.”
Mohamed Weiss, Shaza’s brother, said his knowledge in other restaurants helped in the development of their own restaurant.
“I worked with my cousin at his restaurant, and I was also a manager at Church’s [Chicken],” he said. “After that, we figured we would open our own because we have the experience.”
SE student Russell Jones said the restaurant gives students something else to check out when they’re on campus.
“The food is different, and the café is very relaxing,” he said. “Hopefully, it sticks around.”
Weiss said that even though the restaurant is her first job, she doesn’t forget about her schoolwork.
“The main thing is to balance your time,” she said. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but my family always tells me to finish my studies.”
Weiss said that most of her friends were surprised that the restaurant was named after her.
“Some of my friends say that I must be spoiled. The name is not common even for an Arab name,” she said. “Most of them say, ‘You’re a very lucky girl,’ for my mom and dad to name it after me.”
Weiss said she gets ecstatic whenever she sees her name on the front of the restaurant but said it reminds her to stay humble.
“It makes me feel special,” she said. “My mom and dad take care of everything financial to run this. It’s very generous for them to do that, and I hope that one day I can pay them back.”
