Jimmy Jeong

Devoted Brothers | Willie and Anwar El Safadi, owners of El Safadi Brothers supermarket.

El Safadi Brothers
11316-134th Ave, 475-4909

When brothers Ali, Anwar, and Willie El Safadi went into business together in early 1987, converting a modest, 1,000-square-foot convenience store into a greengrocer, the oldest, Ali, was just 25. But while young, the brothers were far from beginners. They’d each had a lifelong relationship with produce thanks to their father, a fruit peddler who travelled through rural Alberta selling directly to farmers. And the brothers’ fledgling business took off — within a year they’d bought the entire building, the store’s selection rapidly expanding to include requests from an increasingly diverse customer base.

Twenty-two years later, that store is El Safadi Brothers, a welcoming, spacious, well-stocked Middle Eastern specialty market on 134 Avenue. What started as a small produce operation now boasts everything from bulk imported grains to kosher meats to hookahs and giftware. But one key element hasn’t changed: the brothers still run things as equal partners, and with a hands-on approach.

I got a tour from Anwar and Willie on a recent Saturday morning. On one side of the lavishly air-conditioned store are the deli and produce, with stacked crates of chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, and mango juice creating makeshift aisles near the back. On the other are more traditional-looking aisles devoted to imported lentils, spices, and coffee, as well as standard Western foodstuffs. Behind the produce is a staircase to a loft area full of hookahs and artwork.

Like the Italian Centre Shop, which I wrote about last week, the biggest takeaway from visiting a family-run store like El Safadi Brothers is the personal connection you feel with the people and products around you. Going to big box stores like Safeway is nothing but a show of convenience; in El Safadi, you’re constantly reminded that each can of eggplants was hand-selected for the store’s customers.

While the Safadi brothers are Lebanese by blood, they all grew up in Edmonton and make every effort for their store to be inclusive of all cultures and palates. When they say their store specializes in “Middle Eastern” food, they mean it in the broadest sense possible; a quick scan of packaging shows foods imported from Syria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Turkey. Dried Moloukhia leaves ($6.99 per 500 g), a fancy Egyptian side dish, sit beside a big selection of Lebanese Abido spices (50-100 g packages for $2.99). Brazilian coffee beans and Italian olive oils are just around the corner.

And if they don’t have a particular specialty item, the brothers have no hesitation about ordering a small batch in and testing it out.

“We were born here,” Anwar says. “We never knew exactly what kind of foods [Middle Eastern customers] wanted. So as we went along, we ordered different things.”

“Filling customer needs,” adds Willie. “Supplying the demand — that was the name of the game. And I always ask them. ‘Please, give me your opinion. I need something that’s a staple in your community and that moves fast.’”

Of course, if all you’re looking for is something simple, like hummus or pita, El Safadi Brothers has you covered there, too. The store carries several different kinds of premade hummus and baba ghanouj dips, as well as the basic ingredients if you want to try and make your own from scratch. An ample can of Chtaura brand hummus, for example, is $1.39 — just add olive oil and garlic. For pitas, the brothers order fresh from three different bakeries around town, and Anwar estimates they go through upwards of 1,000 every day. This part of the store towers with bakery racks 12 high and eight long. (As you can imagine, the smell is entrancing.) A package of six fluffy pitas costs, on average, $2.

The brothers are the first to recognize how remarkable it is for such a tight-knit family to also thrive as business partners and co-workers. And it’s being passed on to the next generation — Anwar and Willie’s teenaged children already pitch in on weekends and after school.

That personal connection extends to their shoppers too. “I tell my people, ‘It took me 22 years to get these customers,’” says Willie. “‘It can take you 30 seconds to lose them. Help them to their car. Smile. They’ll remember it.’”