Beloved Café- Arabesque, broken in - 4th time
Donation protected
Upon his retirement as an engineer in 1999, Zoher Hakim, decided to share his love for Arabic Food with Toronto, and opened the Arabesque Café on 811 Queen Street West. Having become a mainstay in the neighbourhood for two years, he was forced to move due to the building being sold and in 2001, Hakim moved to its current location- 1068 College Street at the NE corner of College and Gladstone Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
For over the last two decades, Arabesque has been a favourite location for starving artists and locals who indulge in more than affordable Middle Eastern sandwiches, teas, Turkish coffee and treats. Several daily customers and countless returning faithful foodies come to visit Hakim for his amazing homemade Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Falafel- we’re talking Full-Size Falafel Sandwiches for $5.00!! Any returning customer knows that behind any order, there is a complimentary sweet treat awaiting them and neighbourhood children run into the café to say hello and get a free lollipop!!
That being said, in the past two decades, Arabesque has experienced four break-ins, the most recent taking place sometime in the early am on the Monday of Labour Day weekend.
Break-ins have always been an out-of-pocket reality for Hakim, now 84 years old and still working six days a week. We would like to invite you to join our fundraising efforts and pitch in to help support Arabesque and offset the losses incurred. He doesn’t want this to happen, but we want to thank him for giving all of us a beautiful place to check in and enjoy some of the finest Arabic Food in downtown Toronto.
As a neighbourhood community café, Arabesque is a place that brings people together, sees them break bread and enjoy a few Sinatra standards over a quick, loving conversation with Hakim himself! Let's show our support to Hakim!
This is not a money-earning business for Hakim, but rather a heartfelt thanks to the city that gave him a place to live and raise his three children.
To learn more about the various ways Arabesque has made the community what it is- read the latest reviews:
Google reviews 4.8
Organizer
Julie Despaties
Organizer
Toronto, ON