Chef Ro

Feeding the community STORY BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTOS BY SERGEI BELSKI

“I found out I had a passion for cooking and making people’s hearts smile through my food”

If you weren’t hungry before you walk into Pita Basket, you will be once you step foot over the threshold.

The minute you pass through the doors of their Market Boulevard SE location, your senses are bombarded with sights and aromas that make your mouth water.

The roasting shawarma rotating on the vertical rotisserie, the bright colours of the fresh garnishes behind the glass, the aroma of perfectly crisped fries and the scent of the skillfully spiced sauces will have you salivating.

Rawad Saghir, better known as Chef Ro, opened the restaurant when he was only 21 years old and has put a modern twist on traditional Lebanese foods.

“I’m very passionate about cooking and I try to improve every day,” he says.

“I compete with myself on the daily and try to perfect all my dishes. I am very thankful for having a successful business in the city of Airdrie and there is nowhere else I would rather choose to be.”

DOWN-TO-EARTH DREAM

Chef Ro was born in Lebanon and comes by his love of food naturally with his father operating a huge restaurant in his home country and his brother being a chef as well.

“I started working in the restaurant industry with my oldest brother when I was 13 years old in Calgary and I found out I had a passion for cooking and making people’s hearts smile through my food,” he says.

“I also had a passion for doing business … it was in my blood, so it was my dream to open my own restaurant and create a menu with my own flair.”

Pita Basket seats about 25 people and Chef Ro has 12 employees. He says the pandemic has brought a number of challenges as well as a few opportunities to his business.

“We have had our ups and downs but thankfully we are still doing very good,” he says.

“I can say some difficulties are inconsistency with how busy we are. It’s hit-and-miss especially with lunch because a lot of people are working from home so sometimes it’s slow for lunch and sometimes, we are swamped. It makes it hard to predict how the day will go and how many staff I need.”

MEANINGFUL MEALS

Despite his own hardships, Chef Ro has received acclaim for implementing a program since the start of the pandemic that allows people to eat from the restaurant for free if they are in need.

“I started giving out free meals because we still had food on the table, we still had our jobs and we are grateful for that, so we love to give back to our community,” says Chef Ro.

“It’s a part of the way I was raised. I always share what I have with anyone less fortunate because I put myself in their shoes and I see how blessed I am.”

He adds all he asks is that people not take advantage of his generosity.

“We are not handing out meals because we are filthy rich, we are simply giving out meals to anyone struggling because we feel their pain,” he says.

“We started this on April 7, 2020, and we will keep it going forever as long as we can afford to be open. I do a lot of giving back because of my culture and the way I was raised. We believe in good karma, so we do lots of good because I feel blessed.”

Giving free meals to those in need in Airdrie during the pandemic is not Chef Ro’s first act of kindness. The restaurant has been giving out free meals to the homeless shelters since it opened six years ago.

“The response from the community has been great. We have had lots of support and a lot of donations even though we didn’t ask for donations. Lots of great people in this community have stepped up and worked hand in hand,” says Chef Ro.

“It’s very important to give back and spread good, positive energy around the community and support everyone who supports you.”

He says another bright side of the pandemic was creating an online ordering system that has streamlined the process of ordering – a system he probably would not have otherwise implemented.

“(It’s) our own online ordering site and that helps us push out orders quicker and more efficiently for us and our customers if they are in a rush,” he says. life

Airdrie's Teeth Straightening Specialist

When you get right down to the tooth of the matter a smile makes everything better.

Unfortunately having perfect pearly whites doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But a crooked smile doesn’t have to be a hindrance or take a concerning bite out of every daily interaction.

That, fortunately, can be solved easily in the right hands. Quest Orthodontics has been turning frowns upside down for a decade in Airdrie and now are expanding their teethstraightening expertise into new surroundings at the old Boston Pizza location on Sierra Springs Drive.

“We’re very excited about that. We’ve needed the space for a long time and it lined up nicely for that building to be available,” says Dr. Mo Korayem.

“With the new space we’re going to have a clinic that’s almost double the size. We’re going to have a lot more comfortable spaces, more privacy for patients and bring on another orthodontist as well.”

Never standing on formality, Dr. Mo, as he’s known by his patients, has molded Quest Orthodontics into a relaxed, comfortable surroundings for all visitors, moving away from the dental clinic feel.

“It’s going to feel more like a coffee lounge place, a place you want to just hang out. There will be books to read and nice spaces to hang out,” says Dr. Mo. “That theme runs through not just the physical space but everything we do. The way we deal with patients it’s very casual making people feel at home. We are still very respectful but very disarming and approachable.”

That personal touch has been reflected throughout the community with Quest Orthodontics clientele growing significantly, much through word of mouth, since opening in Airdrie 10 years ago.

Quest has gained a prodigious reputation in the city becoming a major sponsor of the Airdrie Food Bank, supporting several teams and sporting events, and providing a hot, catered breakfast program for a local school.

“We’re always looking to give back. Airdrie has been really, really good to us over the years. My team all live and work in Airdrie so we’re very connected and in tune with the community,” says Dr. Mo, who served in the Canadian Forces Dental Services as an army dentist, as well as being a private pilot, avid traveller and most recently honing his Neapolitan pizza making skills.

“With the new building and that huge parking lot we will be doing a lot of events like a food truck and drive-in movie events.”

As an orthodontist, who is a fully trained dentist with three extra years of schooling, Dr. Mo and Quest specializes only in straightening teeth and fixing bites through several different bracing methods.

Discovering what’s best for the individual patient, they offer traditional proven metal braces effectively moving teeth efficiently in a gentle manner, clear braces which are much less visible that match tooth colour or become completely transparent with a porcelain-like material, and an Invisalign technique replacing braces with customized, removable plastic aligners.

With client comfort a priority, the new clinic will host only the best state-of-the-art equipment, promoting proficient methods resulting in shorter treatment times with the same excellent results.

“We have all the latest equipment and the highest technology currently available that’s approved in Canada for anything to do with straightening teeth. (Traditional) impressions have been taken over by 3D printers and scanners models for x-rays. Everything is completely digital. It’s also environmentally friendly office.” A place where everyone knows your name and your smile, the new easy-going clinic will also dole out the freshest coffee courtesy of a new bean-grinding machine, as well as free ice cream for those in the mood for something cool. Combined with their welcoming staff, when you walk into Quest Orthodontics you will be greeted with plenty of smiling, happy faces and eventually leave with your own great smile.

“You will be very well taken care of. Everybody’s very friendly and approachable. We like to have fun at work. It’s a very uplifting feeling,” Dr. Mo says.

“Even though there’s a lot of work getting done and it’s a busy place, it doesn’t feel rushed. We treat you like you’re the only person in the clinic. We’ve worked very hard to get to that point.”

“We’re so proud of our team and the strong bonds we’ve built with our fellow Airdronians over the years. We all truly love what we do and it shows.”

403-948-9595 questbraces.com

402 - 988 Yankee Valley Blvd SE T4A 2E4