Sadat’s Cuisine held a grand opening Wednesday evening at the new location at 223 University Ave., with the former Grafton Street site now in the process of being demolished to make way for a new Holland College campus.
For Said Sadat, Wednesday’s opening came after months of worrying whether he would be able to find a new location for the family-run restaurant.
“(With the old site being) demolished, people thought the restaurant was dead or gone, but it’s come alive again,” said Sadat, who owns the restaurant with his wife Sara. “We’ve risen from ash… it’s a new life after demolition.”
Thursday was the first full day open for the restaurant, which will be open from noon to 9 p.m. every Monday to Saturday.
Sadat, an Afghan refugee who came to P.E.I. in 2007, was blindsided when he was first notified of the demolishment, adding that he had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into his original location before opening it in 2014.
Sadat’s traditional Halal food has built up a loyal customer base, many of whom were on hand Wednesday.
Even Premier Wade MacLauchlan stopped by to wish the family good luck in the new location.
Andrea Waugh is a fan of both the family and their food.
“Their food is amazing and it’s the family atmosphere, the warm welcoming, that’s really wonderful,” said Waugh, who has also helped the restaurant with its menus since first opening.
“It’s been really exciting to watch their business grow from when they first opened their doors. I know it’s been a lot of hard work… but there’s always a smile on their faces and they’ve turned this into a beautiful spot.”
Norberto Wuertz is another friend and loyal customer.
“Their food is very good… they do everything from scratch which is very nice,” said Wuertz, who felt the new location is also a better fit.
“I think it’s a good place here. It’s close to downtown and much nicer, lighter. It’s a nice spot.”
The move involved a complete renovation of the new location, including building a new kitchen, in just over 30 days.
Sadat thanked the many friends and family members who helped him renovate the new location as well as his realtor and lawyer for helping him find it and secure a good lease.
“In the future, we think we’ll be buying this place,” said Sadat, adding that he is now in a rent-to-own agreement. “The new agreement is very good.”
