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Ramadan poses trials for Muslims whose job is food

Business gets erratic during a month of daytime fasting - and there's all that temptation.

By SHERRI DAY
Published September 23, 2006

With great care, Ameer Abu-Abseh spreads out delicate sheets of phyllo dough, swaths them in butter and adds neat lines of cream cheese.

His pastries, made especially for Ramadan, must exude perfection. This batch, made earlier this week, will not fall short, he says, a certainty gleaned from sampling as he cooks.

Taste-testing is a luxury Abu-Abseh will soon suspend. A third-generation Muslim chef, he will join other Muslims today for a month of Ramadan fasting from sunrise to sunset.

During the observance, Abu-Abseh employs special tactics to keep his business running smoothly. For starters, he tries to banish thoughts of drinking water and Powerade, which he usually gulps by the gallon as he maneuvers around his steamy kitchen. He'll also depend on the power of scent to help him determine how much garlic, curry or salt he should add to dishes.

"Sometimes I do taste," Abu-Abseh, who owns Ameer's Restaurant in northeast Tampa, said this week. "But I don't swallow. If I do swallow it by mistake, it's okay because it's not my intention to break my fast."

For restaurateurs, Ramadan is marked by highs and lows. Most bay area Muslim restaurateurs said they have come to expect deep sales declines because Muslim customers don't come in for lunch. Sometimes, non-Muslims stay away out of respect for the proprietors' fasts. And many Muslims prefer to attend iftars, the evening meals that break the fast, at local mosques or in private homes.

Siavash Moradimehr, part owner of the Mirage Restaurant in Clearwater, wishes he could mimic some eateries in the Middle East that close during Ramadan. "I'd love to, but I can't," said Moradimehr, 52. "Here, you have to pay lots of rent. And the people working here, if you close one month they'll leave and you can't find them again."

Moradimehr, who is the restaurant's primary cook, usually asks his non-Muslim employees to sample his wares during Ramadan before he sends plates out to customers.

At the Green Land Grill in Temple Terrace, Abdel Hamid Atiyeh expects business to decline by at least 30 percent. But there's a silver lining. Atiyeh also owns Al-Aqsa Grocery and Meat Market, which specializes in Middle Eastern food and halal meat. Business triples during Ramadan.

"We sell more than we would any other day," Atiyeh said. "When you are hungry, you will spend a lot of money."

Nabil Chehab agrees. He has spent weeks preparing for the hungry customers that will enter his grocery and deli north of St. Petersburg.

"I ordered 200 boxes of dates," said Chehab, who owns Cedar Market on 54th Avenue N. "I sell a lot of dates, semolina, tamarind and raspberry syrups for sweet drinks. Actually, I do so well I wish every day were Ramadan."

Still, sitting on his perch at the cash register surrounded by cases of fresh baklava, tabouli salad, fresh pita bread and candy has its challenges for a fasting grocer. Chehab's wife, Wajiha, says keeping busy helps keep their minds off food.

"When you work and have kids and you cook, time will fly by too fast," she said.

There are bright spots for restaurateurs. While daily business often dips, orders for catering iftars increase dramatically. Last year, Moradimehr had nine catering jobs, including a 200-person iftar.

Ramadan has little effect on the bottom line at Salam Seafood in northeast Tampa. Most of the restaurant's clientele is non-Muslim, said owner Yahya Ahmad.

Still, personal sacrifice abounds. Ahmad, 37, plans to make sauces for his hot wings, gyros and pizzas at night so he can taste them without worry.

There also are more difficult challenges than forsaking food, Ahmad said. "The greatest test during the month of Ramadan is to have patience," said Ahmad. "For me, dealing with the public is not easy, and it can be very stressful at times."

Nada Sehsah, a waitress at Green Land Grill, can relate, particularly during iftars when the restaurant fills with hungry, demanding customers.

"When you're fasting, you get so nervous - especially the people who smoke," Sehsah said. "They quit smoking all day. They just want to fight. You have to be patient with them."

Back at Ameer's Restaurant in Tampa earlier this week, there were other problems. The air conditioner in the kitchen broke. It limped along while Abu-Abseh fired up the grill.

He wiped his brow and reached for a bottle of Powerade, one of seven he would drink that day.

He has called the landlord. If he is to make it through the hot days ahead during Ramadan without drinking anything, he will need a little help.

"Ramadan is going to be very hard for me," he said. "But I'm going to fix the air conditioning."

Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Sherri Day can be reached at sday@sptimes.com or 813 226-3405.

[Last modified September 23, 2006, 01:03:37]