FAD SADR : KAZA MAZA

Jennifer: Who are you, and where did you grow up?

Fadi: My name is Fadi Sadr, I was born in Lebanon. It will be 20 years since I arrived in Montreal in September. I wanted to be an actor, so I studied this in Lebanon for four years, and after that, I came to Montreal to do my Master’s in Theatre and I decided to stay.

Jennifer: How and when did Kaza Maza get its start?

Fadi: I felt since the beginning that it wasn’t going to be easy to make a living out of acting, especially when you change countries, languages, and everything. And it’s not always easy to access for everyone. On top of that, sometimes, when people immigrate, you can feel the responsibility to make a good living to earn money and to survive well to help their family back home.

I always had an idea to have a business on the side to make a living, and I realized that theatre and acting could wait for whenever it came. 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 my university time.  It was a small place where artists would gather and eat. It was called Barometer. Which still exists today.

Jennifer : Tell me why you chose the name and what it means.

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

Jennifer : How do you go from theatre to opening a restaurant?

Fadi: The concept wasn’t really to open a restaurant but a Resto/ Bar and a place to hold events, musicians, exhibitions, etc. Mainly, I wanted to attract people to come watch something and have some nice food to eat. 

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 dishes, done well.

After the first month we opened, we received several positive reviews. We were fortunate to offer many small plates and were one of the first places in town to do so, which led us to be recognized as the best new restaurant in the city and for having the best new dish of the year. Consequently, we became known as the place that offered food.

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

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, we became more known as a restaurant than for 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.

As for acting and theatre, I put it 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 anything. 

Jennifer: On the topic of acting, I feel you brought the theatre to you. I believe it’s through the creation of this restaurant to have a place where like-minded people could come and hang out and have a culinary experience is how your dream came true in the end. Even though you may not be acting on a stage, it seems you brought this way of life to you. It is like you are playing a different role each night.

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

Jennifer : What have been some of your highlights over the years?

Fadi: There have been many moments that made me happy about the place and my vision.  There were nights when you accommodated 100 people and more, and pretty much everyone was happy. They asked for the owner and they tell you how much they liked it and wanted to come back. This makes you feel good.

Another simple highlight is from the vibes we created around the music events held at Kaza, which many people have come up to me afterwards asking when the next one will be and that they will return.

I have met some celebrities, that I really like, such as Emir Kusturica ( a famous director and musician,) He came here with his band and played. I am a big fan of his. Aa well, I met Elia Suleiman, the Palestinian 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. I like that I can welcome these people here.

Jennifer : What are some of the struggles? In regards to the pandemic, what did you learn from this experience?

Fadi : When the pandemic hit, we weren’t a new restaurant. We had been here already 10 years. I trusted my clients and knew people who had already come here regularly. So this place already meant a lot. So this helped.

When the pandemic hit,  we didn’t know how long it was going to be. I thought a month or two, so when it started, I thought ok, I’ll take a breath as I was working a lot.

We closed for the first two months and then opened after that. I wasn’t worried about the business because I felt we had a good community. They had our backs, and I am thankful for them.

I had a responsibility to keep this place running. It’s not just a place for me to make a living or a place for people to come eat, it has become more than this.  There is something that means a lot to many people.

Jennifer: It sounds like you created what you envisioned for Kaza Maza from the beginning. To be a place for people could come and hang out, connect and eat some good food?

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

We usually don’t go to a restaurant to eat but to have an experience. So I like to offer them a good experience. Again, it’s a responsibility 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. If you put yourself out there in the spotlight, you don’t want just a few of them to be happy but all of them.

You want to give your best and that’s what I believe.

Jennifer : What is the story of the location?  Did you find it, or did it find you?  Did you want to be in this neighborhood of the Mile End/ Plateau?

Fadi: I found the location,  I had known the Mile End and vibe. A lot of artists around. This was the clientele I was looking for and didn’t see this in other areas.  The idea wasn’t to choose a touristy location, but a location where people would find us.  

The Mile End reminded me of a neighborhood in Beirut called Hamra.  Hamra is also very mixed and diverse with many artists; it is where the Barometer is located and where the two big universities in Beirut are. It’s very vibrant. So that’s why I chose the Mile End.

Jennifer : Is this your favorite neighbourhood?

Fadi : Yes, I like this quartier/ neighbourhood. I like the cafes and people and I am not far from the park, so I can often go up the mountain. I like Montreal, and I am lucky to have met good people who 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 very human and not that big. I like these quiet places. It's similar to Beirut. It’s like a small town or big village.

Jennifer :What is next for you? 

Fadi: I am not a big dreamer or ambitious.  I feel you pay the price for this. I always take things simple and do my best, whether that be as an actor or working in the restaurant.

I want to take more time for myself. I don’t want to be running and doing things left and right. I am not done, but I am not too young either.  For now, I want to keep running and still love what I am doing.  It is going to be 14 years for the restaurant, and I am going to be 48, and I don’t see me here at 55 still running a restaurant, so there is always the theatre, and it’s always what I wanted and would like to return to.

Jennifer : As this podcast is about taking note of the moments, through the senses and seasons, what are some things that you have noticed in your everyday life in the city of Montreal?

Fadi’s Recommendations:

SAVOURING : Montreal is so diverse and multi-cultural that it offers many options to have a unique sensory experience, whether culinary or visually. It will be hard to choose just one. I try new things, restaurants, and festivals all the time, which changes with every season. I am not dedicated to one place.

Some of my favorite Mile End places to go and eat and drink are Cafe Olympico, Cafe Gamba, and Cafe Social. And for restaurants, I like the classic Chez Duval for comfort food, and the Lemac on Laurier is also good.

LISTENING : The Jazz festival is always amazing, but walking in the park and listening to the birds is also nice. I come from a small village in Lebanon surrounded by mountains and trees, so having the park nearby is important to me. I feel I am a city person, but I do like to be close to nature at the same time.

As for specific places to go Listen to something, I don’t have a specific venue,, as it would depend on what is playing at the time. I often go check out shows at Sala Rosa, or bar Ritz, or Salon Daome. There are, again, so many options to choose from, which is nice.

FEELING : I built a nice terrace in the back of my house, with big walls that has become my sanctuary in the city, where I can quietly sit and just be. It feels like the countryside.

I realized a long time ago, that I don’t take advantage of every single moment, and now I try.

Thank you Fadi Sakr, for inviting me to your restaurant to connect and enjoy this moment in time.

I hope you enjoyed some of the highlights of an interview recorded in the summer of 2023 at Kaza Maza.

TUNE IN to the full encounter on the podcast TAKE NOTE OF THE MOMENT.

Interview & photography by Jennifer Cloutier / Take note of the moment podcast