Edy Massih is on a mission to introduce consumers to the healthful and tasty cuisine of his homeland, Lebanon.
The 27-year-old opened Edy’s Grocer in North Brooklyn in August 2020 after working at Danny Meyer’s North End Grill and operating his own catering business. He says, “It’s been a journey but my objective has always been to cook the foods of Lebanon.”
Massih was born in a fishing village in northern Lebanon. His grandmothers always fed family and friends. “Meals were a time to relax and enjoy others,” he recalls. That changed when he moved to Massachusetts at the age of 10.
His love of food never changed. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, then moved to New York City to work as a chef. Massih did not like it. “I could not express my voice working in a restaurant kitchen,” he says.
Massih started a catering business in 2017. He invested $500 per month on Google and Yelp advertising and landed corporate catering jobs, including photo shoots with Uniqlo and Victoria Secret. Then COVID hit.
“I prepared food in Brooklyn and offered a quarantine menu,” Massih says. “I would place meals outside my door; people would pick them up and Venmo me.” His success led to a New York Post article, which attracted the attention of the health department. His home catering business was shut down.
The next step: Edy’s Grocer, an 800-square-foot Lebanese and Middle Eastern grocery store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The market opened on August 15, 2020, the anniversary of his grandmother’s death.
The store features 24 fresh mezze, shelf-stable products, baked goods, and prepared food. It also serves as the base for Massih’s continuing catering business.
Massih’s advice: “Never stop doing what you love. It’s okay to have detours but always come back to your passion.”
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Image: Kelly Marshall