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Crown Grocery & Deli

1210 S. Hampton, 214.467.3810

Ibrahim Dalgamouni never knew he was a good cook until he took over the kitchen in his own business.

Dalgamouni opened Crown about 22 years ago. Prior to that, he had worked for other people until he saved enough to buy his own building, a former foreign auto parts place, and renovate it.

Dalgamouni came to the United States from Jordan about 26 years ago, originally to get a Ph.D. He earned a bachelor’s degree back home and worked for the civil aviation authority. Friends told him that earning a Ph.D. while working in America would be easy.

“In reality, it was very hard, so I decided to open my own business,” he says.

He married an American woman, Ann Marie, and immersed himself in work. Earning that doctorate degree soon seemed unimportant.

Crown beckons motorists from Hampton with its strangely appetizing fiberglass sign with the image of a hamburger. It’s like, the king of hamburgers, you think. And then one day, you’ll try it.

For a fast-food burger, it’s not bad. A thin patty and all the fixin’s plus fries and a can of soda costs $7. Dalgamouni doesn’t griddle the buns — that just adds unnecessary calories, he says.

“Quality is my priority,” Dalgamouni says. “I try everything to be healthy. We don’t need bad ingredients and preservatives. I want to eat healthy, and I want to offer that to my customers.”

Onion rings, he says, could be the best-tasting food around. But he doesn’t eat them, and there is nothing on the menu that Dalgamouni doesn’t eat.

The menu does include corndogs, burritos and sandwiches, though.

Dalgamouni says he enjoys cooking, but the customers are what keep him interested. He likes giving advice to young men with the typical troubles of fighting, girls and schoolwork.

“My neighbors, my people, my customers. That’s my social life,” he says. “I know everybody. Everybody comes to talk to me.”

Top left: Crown owner Ibrahim Dalgamouni jokes around with a customer. He says interacting with customers is part of what makes his life meaningful.

Top right: The double cheeseburger with fries is a popular order. Above: A collection of artwork, photos and cards from Crown’s loyal customers are hung on a window.