FAD SADR : KAZA MAZA

Who are you, where did you grow up?

My name is Fadi Sadr, I am from born in Beirut Lebanon. I am from Lebanon and 20 years ago it's gonna be 20 years in September so I arrived in 2003 I wanted to be an actor and still want to be so I studied this in Lebanon for four years and after that, I came to Montreal to do my masters and yeah I decided to stay.

How did Kaza Maza get it’s start ?

I guess I felt since the beginning that it's not gonna be easy to make a living out of acting especially if you when you change country, the language and everything and usually working in theatre and acting is not an easy access for everyone and when people immigrate like people 

like us sometimes like you feel the responsibility to make a a good living to earn some money and to survive well probably to help your family back home

I always had an idea to have a business on the side to make a living. I realized the theatre and acting I could wait for it whenever it comes. So this is how the idea came to open this business Kaza Maza. 

I was inspired by a small resto bar where I used to hang out in Beirut during our university time.  It was a small place, where artists would gather and eat. It was called barometer It still exists.

How to go from theatre to opening a restaurant?

The concept wasn’t really a restaurant but a resto bar, and a place to hold events, musicians, exhibitions, etx.. Mainly I wanted to attract people to come watch something and have something nice food to eat. 

What happened was I didn’t know, but when you open something new in the city, they come and write about you.  

Since we were lucky, to have many small plates, and it was one of the first places in town like this, we were chosen as best new restaurant in the city and best new plate of the year, so we became well known, as that place that offered food.

We used to have bands playing, but people weren’t listening, they weren’t interested and started asking to lower the music. So I realized that people were less interested in events. Slowly slowly we became more known as a restaurant then the events. We continued doing them on slower nights but eventually, we stopped doing these events altogether. Until recently on Mondays, the restaurant was closed and now it is open for events only. 

Tell me why you chose the name and what does it mean ?

Kaza Maza means “this or that”, or “comme si comme ca” in French and it’s an expression in Lebanese, especially young people, We often say this when we speak.  It’s like when anglophones say “you know what I mean”.

We decided to go with the vibe. And food from our country. Three of our partners are Lebanese so we went with what we knew. The three of us were never in the restaurant business.  We didn’t worry too much about this, as the idea wasn’t to have a big menu but to have small good food, well.  Like making good hummus.

Overtime, we found a cook/ chef and became a partner.  We counted on him about the menu and discussed what we would like. We started of with small dishes.  But again we didn’t think it would become the restaurant it is today

After the first month, afte we opened we got an article in the gazette.  It’s was a good half page in Saturday edition.  I remember she ate about 7 or 8 dishes and loved it. 

The theatre I put on hold, because the restaurant took too much time.  I did 2 or 3 movies, which was nice but I don’t have an agent or any

thing.

I feel you did in a way bring the theatre to you, don’t you think? You brought the artists, like the dream that you had to create a space, where minded could come and hang out and enjoy a culinary experience. Even though you may not be acting it seems you brought this life to you. It is like you are playing a different role each night. I think that we are all playing roles in our lives.  Sometimes they are part of the plan, and sometimes they merge.  But I do feel you are playing the role you envisioned

Yes it’s true, it’s how I see it too, playing a role.  I live upstairs, before the shift starts, I get ready, and as I come downstairs, I say to myself.  Let’s do this.  Let’s run the shows tonight. You have a new crowd. You need to amuse them and serve them well, you want them to be happy. So it’s kind of playing the role, between the client, crowd, the staff, the employee. Directing the show of the night. I have to see it like this sometimes. I didn’t go too far from the theatre.

What was a big highlight over all these years ?

I remember there were many moents that made me happy about the place and my visison.  AS sometimes I get bored of all this and all the responsbilites.  But those night where you accomodate 100 people in more and pretty much everyone is happy and they ask for the owner and they tell you how much they like it and want to come back. So this make me feel happy.  

This music events that we do here and I see the vibe and people are happy, this also makes me happy and they come to me wanted to know when the next one is.  

When I announced that we were ging to stop the music for the summer, people were sad and asked me not to. 

I met some celebrities, that I really like . Emir Kusturica( famous director and musican, He came here with his band and played. I am a big fan of him. 

I met Elia Suleiman, the palestian director. Which I got to be in his film. He came here more than once, because he was shooting a movie in Montreal.  This was a nice moment. 

Anouar Brahem, we played at the jazz festival and came here after .

I like that I can welcome these people here

What are some of the struggles. : Speaking a bit about the pandemic. What did you learn from this experience?

First of all, when the pandemic hit, we weren’t a new restaurant . We had been here already 10 years. I trusted my clients and knew people , and came here reguarly and this places, made alot to them. 

When the pandemic hit,  at some point, how long it’s going to go.  I didn’t feel it was going to go for a year. I thought a month or two.  So when it first started, I thought ok, Ill take a breath, I was working alot, 

The first two months we closed, and then after that we opened.  We were getting calls to open. 

It actually went really well, during the lockdown.  Doordash. 

I wasn’t really worried about the business. I feel you had a good community . 

They had your back ,abnd I am thankful for them.

I have the responsiblie to keep this place running . Its not just a place for me to make a living, its more then this.  There is something that means alot to many people. I cna’t just think of closing it down. Its not just plave for people to come eat

You built what you wanted ?

Simply when someone comes here,  you want to be thankful for this person, that they chose to come here. Over all the places in the city of Monteal.  It the same as if someone came ot my home.  I wanted people to feel comfortable and happy. You deserve to have a beautiful night, even if you come back or not. 

We usually don’t go out to an restaurant to just eat but its about anan experience. So I like to offer them a good experience. Again it’s an responsiblity for me like in a theatre, you have the crowd, you don’t just want 90 percent to like you and applaud you , you want everyone to be happy. yourself out there in the spotlight, you don’t want just a few of them to be happy, you hope . You want to give the best of you.

6) What is the story of the location.?  Did you find it or did it find you?  Did you want to be in this neighbourhood, of the Mile end / plateau.

I found the location,  I had known the mile end and vibe. A lot of artists around. This was the clientale I was looking for. And didn’t see it in other areas.  The idea wasn’t to choose a location where it was touristy, .  People would find us.  

It reminded me of a neighbourhood in Beirut, called Hamaran.  It’s very mixed and diverse and a lot of artists. The mile end is similar and Where Barmoter is locaed. There are two big university in Beirut, are all locaed there.  It’s very vibrant. It reminded me of Hamaran.

Is this your fav hood ? 

Yes I like this place, the cafe’s the people, I m not that far of the park, I can go up the mountain. 

Montreal, the people who make the city.  I am lycky to meet some good people and make me feel that I am not alone, and I see the city through them. 

It’s a big city that offers a lot of things, but it also feels like a very human and not that big. I like these quiet, 

Beirut is small and don’t get lost.  You feel like you know the city, know where to go, and you dont feel like nothing. 

It’s like a small town . A big village.

What is next? 

I am not a big dreamer, or ambitious.  I feel you pay the price.  I always I take things the simple and do my best, whether a actor, same for the restaurant. 

I want to take more time for myself/ I dont want to be running and doing things left and right, I am not done but I am not to young.  For now I am a bit stuck , I want to keep runing and still love what I am doing.  Its going to be 14 years for the restaurant and I am going to be 48, and I don’t see me at 55 still running a restaurant, so there is always the theatre, and it’s always what I wanted and if I can return full time,  this would be great.  I don’t myself running this all my life…

I would like to return to the theatre, full time if possible

What have you have taken note of of….in your day

I realized a not long time ago, that I dont really ake advantage of every single moment of my life.  Now, I try to

I have