8/3/11-Jamal Hashi and Safari Express
Jamal Hashi’s experience coming to the United States as a boy, 18 years ago, was far from an adventure. He and his family, who’d lived a stable, privileged life in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, were uprooted by violence and political upheaval. They endured a Kenya refugee camp for “two hard years”—his father, a retired Somali government official, died there—before landing in Arlington, Virginia, not a welcoming place for Somalis. Jamal explains that speaking no English and lacking the support that comes from belonging to a community of people with a shared experience, was fraught with challenges.
Fortunately, he says, “Somalis are part of an oral culture and enjoy sharing good news.” Eventually word trickled down that Minneapolis was the most welcoming place for Somali refugees. It became the place his mother and siblings aspired to move. Today, Jamal says “Minneapolis is the closest thing there is to Somalia.”
Life in Minneapolis was difficult initially. Jamal’s family lived in a shelter their first month, then moved to a rough neighborhood, where rents were low. “Minneapolis was known as ‘Murderapolis,’ at the time,” he says, “because the murder rate was so high.” He recalls the first night, walking with his mother in the dead of winter, looking for groceries. Seeing a brightly lit sign on a large building not far from home, they thought they’d found what they were looking for. To their dismay, it was a liquor store. They then walked 20 long blocks before finding a Cub supermarket.
Things improved dramatically when the family moved to Southeast two years later. There, Jamal met U of M students and professors. A naturally inquisitive person, he asked questions, “fell in love with a coffeeshop, that became my ‘Cheers,’” and became involved with East Side Neighborhood Services, where he thrived. Architectural engineering was something he began to pursue, and then, real estate. Owning a restaurant was not something Jamal dreamed about.
Now, Jamal says, it feels like the life he’s living chose him. When Jamal’s brother, Sade, severed relations with his business partner, he turned to Jamal. (Sade, who launched the first Safari restaurant, downtown, prefers to remain in the background.) Soon, Jamal says, “I discovered I loved the work passionately.” Exposing “adventurous diners to Somali food, and then being told, ‘thank you, I had a great experience,’ is the ultimate pleasure,” he says.
Travels to Stockholm played a key role in Jamal’s path to opening Safari Express in Midtown Global Market. After experiencing an indoor marketplace there, he mapped out his vision for something comparable in Minneapolis. Not long after, he was approached by the African Development Center (ADC), on behalf of NDC, Global Market’s developer.
“I liked the fast, casual concept,” Jamal remembers, and the opportunity to give more people the “wow” experience of discovering foods found nowhere else, like mango curries, camel burgers, and Chicken Fantastic—and learning about Somali cuisine, influenced by a history of colonization and role as a main port for Eastern and Western countries. Jamal describes Somali food as a blend of Indian and Italian influences and spices.
Jamal’s more recent encounters with Sweden as part of a delegation there have verified that Minneapolis has an “immigrant-friendly system,” making it perhaps, “the most open and supportive of any city, anywhere.” Sweden, he explains, has been seeking out Minneapolis delegations, because Somali people there are not succeeding. “They (Swedes) have begun wondering why Somalis in Minneapolis are functional and successful, becoming entrepreneurs and opening up their own businesses,” while there, “Somalis tend to be isolated, living far outside the city, and don’t work.” He observes that, “We have access to the system here, the Mayor of Minneapolis, and resources that are impossible to attain over there.”
It was Jamal’s personal investment, along with outreach and resources provided by ADC and NDC, which launched Safari Express in Midtown Global Market and later Safari Restaurant and Banquet Center, just off Lake Street on 4th Ave. S. Jamal credits Joyce Wisdom and her staff at Lake Street Council for doing “an amazing job,” ensuring that “things actually happen”—like assisting with zoning issues and façade improvement funding. “The Lake Street Council is who speaks for us,” and does much of the marketing. Jamal says it takes time for new immigrants to understand the value of such connections. “It’s not something those who are fresh-faced, recently arrived, and just starting up, are thinking about—yet, anyway. They don’t come with the concept. They’ll come to see the value after they’ve been here for a year.”
Like Manny, Jamal dreams of expanding his business. For both, the sky is the limit. As he ponders what’s next, media continues to be drawn to Jamal’s story and the artistry of his cooking. He has caught the attention of Lynne Rosetto Kasper of American Public Media’s The Splendid Table, which has featured him three times. Other media outlets have featured stories, including the New York Post and CNN.
These days, Jamal and his family give back locally and globally through events held in Safari Restaurant’s banquet hall. Because of events unfolding in Somalia, they’ve been hosting benefits to assist starving people there.