We had the good fortune of connecting with Meymuna Hussein-Cattan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meymuna, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Definitely the refugee families in our network! We are their students and stewards for authentic meals in Los Angeles. We are really honored that they would teach our team their preserved family recipe, even after being forcibly displaced. Many of the chefs we work with are home-trained so their cuisines are authentic and difficult to find in mainstream restaurants today. These are dishes that their grandmothers and mothers made for the privacy of their homes. To be provided so much trust is something we don’t take lightly.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Founded by me and Christian Davis, Flavors from Afar restaurant, has a unique business model of rotating global cuisines each month created by former refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. 40% of the proceeds go back to our nonprofit organization, The Tiyya Foundation. We also provide 5% of gross sales to the chefs that we partner with each month. I’m most proud of our accomplishments, especially being voted as top 101 restaurants in Los Angeles, despite the pandemic. We opened our doors during the start of the stay-at-home orders and alongside our mission, our team really pulled through. There were many challenges that we had to address together: pandemic, regular closures, limited resources, and introducing a new concept during a global crisis. A lot was on our shoulders. Looking back, what we learned was that a strong mission and aligned values with your customer base goes a long way and can help you survive the most challenging times.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s such vast beauty throughout Los Angeles. An entire week here would require a one day visit to each neighborhood or two, to really enjoy the various vibes. Top on my list would be: The Artist District / Downtown LA, Highland Park, Leimert Park & West Adams, Silverlake & Los Feliz, West Hollywood, Venice and Malibu. There’s so many more I would add, but these locations are really special. I personally enjoy them all.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As I answer these questions today, father’s day is around the corner. I would like to give a personal shoutout to my dad. Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, and as a daughter of immigrants we want to do our best for our family members. I’m grateful to him for not only the sacrifices he’s made as a refugee to ensure a better lifestyle for us – but he’s also the first one who taught me the importance of fulfillment.  He taught me that I’m not obligated to do anything my heart is not in alignment with. I think that realization is what keeps me so passionate today about the work I put into the world.

Website: www.meymuna.com

Instagram: @meymunacattan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meymunahussein

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meymunatiyya

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/flavors-from-afar-los-angeles-2

Youtube: https://www.buzzfeed.com/watch/video/139095

Other: www.tiyya.org www.flavorsfromafar.co

Image Credits
Matthew Palanca and Kyle Johnson

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