Bevo Mill: Part 2
Refugees in Little Bosnia Today
In Bevo Mill: Part 1, I described the history of Bevo Mill, a Dutch-style windmill built by August A. Busch, Sr. in 1916. This historic landmark in the heart of south St Louis was originally a private family dining hall and European-style beer garden during prohibition. Bevo Mill has reopened after a $1.5 million renovation and restoration as Das Bevo, a German-inspired restaurant and event space.
Das Bevo (Photo Credit: Das Bevo)
The Bevo Mill neighborhood has a rich history of immigrant residents, notably becoming an unofficial “Little Bosnia” when Bosnian refugees moved there in the 1990s, following the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnian-owned businesses and restaurants thrived, and the neighborhood that had been in decline was rejuvenated. In the last ten years, most Bosnians moved away from Bevo to the suburbs, and the neighborhood dynamics changed once again. A few of the Bosnian businesses that remain are the Zlatno Zio Bakery, Golden Grains Bakery, and Europa Market. Despite these shifts, the neighborhood remains a diverse and resilient community with various immigrant-owned businesses, preserving Bevo’s unique character and varying flavors.
In 1997, the first Bosnian-owned business, restaurant Bosna Gold, opened in St Louis in an old Pizza Hut building in the Bevo Mill neighborhood. After being a pillar in the community for 19 years, Bosna Gold closed its doors in 2016. Recently, I visited the current refugee-owned restaurant in that same space. Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant moved into the space in 2021, owned by Syrian refugee brothers Abdulhak and Ibrahim Majeed.
Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant in the Bevo Mill neighborhood
Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant sits along a busy stretch of Gravois Avenue, with a view of Bevo Mill at the end of the block. Across the street, one can find Majeed Market, the original spot for the restaurant when it first opened in 2018; now it is a store that sells Middle Eastern groceries and goods. The brothers arrived in St Louis in 2014, as refugees from Syria by way of Turkey. Their father, Mamdouh, owned a restaurant in Syria, and the Middle Eastern menu is inspired by their family recipes.
When the Syrian civil war first began in 2009, Mamdouh Majeed lived in Hama, a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. Worried about the safety of his family, he sent his wife and youngest children to Turkey. He remained in Syria with his older sons to maintain their property and businesses.
In 2011 on the evening of Eid al-Adha, the largest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam, Majeed and his sons had gathered for the holiday. They heard the nearby school explode. Their city became one of the main sites of conflict between the Syrian military and opposition forces during the siege of Hama. They lost everything, and the restaurant they owned was destroyed. Majeed and his sons fled to Turkey to find safety, reuniting with the rest of their family. A refugee nonprofit in Turkey helped Majeed apply for refugee status in the United States. After two years of waiting, the Majeed family received approval in 2014; Mamdouh developed a serious illness, but he and his wife and eight children flew to Chicago.
After one day in Chicago, they were informed that they would be placed permanently in St Louis. The International Institute of St Louis met them at the airport, transported them to their new apartment, and provided them with some basic goods to help them with their new start. They received community orientation and language courses. Since they did not speak English or have a car, it was difficult for them in the beginning. Because Mamdouh was sick, he could no longer work. To support the family, the sons began working in Middle Eastern markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. The family found St Louis to be a safe place where they no longer had to live in fear, and they appreciated the diversity in people and cultures.
After some time getting settled in America, the family thought it would be more rewarding to start up their own business and open a restaurant, similar to the restaurant their father Mamdouh owned in Syria. Since Mamdouh’s health was deteriorating, his sons Abdulhak and Ibrahim became the owners and chefs of Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant. With limited cash that they had saved from their earnings, the Majeeds found a space in Bevo Mill that asked for a very small deposit and no long-term commitment, only requiring that they pay their monthly rent on time. They opened in a former Honduran restaurant that had relocated to a different neighborhood in the city. The family decorated the space by hand with photographs of their former hometown of Hama, Syria and textiles from Turkey. As a welcome to the neighborhood, they received a bouquet of flowers from their neighbors at Das Bevo.
Brothers Abdulhak and Ibrahim Majeed in Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant in 2018 (Photo Credit: Mabel Suen Riverfront Times)
During the first year of business in 2018, the Majeed family worked tirelessly with very long hours, hard labor, and many expenses. They were committed to providing excellent service and delicious tastes from home. With excellent reviews from customers and write-ups in St Louis newspapers and publications, recommendations allowed their business to become known in the area. As the restaurant grew, the children in the family were able to go to school to earn degrees and others opened new businesses, such as a towing company.
Once the pandemic hit, Abdulhak and Ibrahim faced new challenges and had to rethink how to continue operations. They kept the restaurant open for take-out and curbside pickup, and they turned the dining room into a grocery store with Mediterranean and Arabic merchandise. The plan was successful and allowed the family to expand their business. In June of 2021, Abdulhak and Ibraham moved the restaurant across the street for a bigger dining room, and they continued to keep the market open as well.
Majeed Market (Photo Credit: Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant Facebook page)
I park along Gravois Avenue and walk to Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant. After last working in this neighborhood 15 years ago, this block is not as familiar to me as it once was. The massive blades of Bevo Mill rise above the nearby buildings. The businesses are different, and the street doesn’t seem as vibrant and bustling as it was in the early 2000s. When I walk into the restaurant, I am immediately taken back in time to the first Bosnian restaurant in the space, Bosna Gold. The interior of the restaurant looks very much the same as it did twenty years ago with the distinctive stone walls and wood paneled, beamed ceiling with skylights. Behind the wooden counter in the front of the restaurant, colorful hookahs and ornate Turkish teapots line the shelves.
Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
A young woman in a black hijab greets me from behind the counter, quietly singing along to the Middle Eastern traditional music playing through the speakers. She smiles and tells me to sit anywhere. Since it is Tuesday during lunch hour, most tables are open. I take a seat near the window with a view of Gravois and Bevo Mill, facing the dining room. The woman hands me a menu and a bottle of water. There is an extensive vegetarian appetizer section, which could easily create a meal, so I order lentil soup and the “vegetarian”-- a sampler of falafel, tabouleh, hummus, and baba ganoush with pita. The menu has photos with each food item, but the presentation is even more beautiful than the photos.
First, the lentil soup arrives. Steam rises from the thick, yellow soup, in a beautiful wooden bowl. The lentils, onions, and spices taste fresh and flavorful. This savory dish is hearty and comforting, but too hot for me to eat much of it before the rest of my food arrives.
Lentil Soup at Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
The vegetarian platter is appealingly and gorgeously presented on a wooden plate, resting on a wooden board. Large portions of baba ganoush and hummus are centered on the dish, topped with olive oil and chickpeas. To the side, bright green tabouleh is topped with two fried falafel patties. The food tastes as good as it looks. My favorite is the baba ganoush with the distinct flavors of lemon, roasted eggplant, and garlic. The tabouleh salad follows closely in second with its fresh taste of finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint, lemon, cucumber, and olive oil. The falafel is perfectly crispy and not crumbly, which is how I prefer it. After completely stuffing myself, I box up my leftovers.
Vegetarian appetizer at Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
Too full for dessert, I order a Turkish coffee served on a gold tray, with a small matching coffee cup and saucer and an enormous bowl of sugar. The dark coffee is in a small pot with long handle. After carefully pouring the coffee into my cup, I slowly sip the earthy, bitter blend. For less than the cost of a Starbucks drink, I feel like I am treating myself to luxury.
Turkish Coffee at Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
As I pay for my meal at the front counter, Ibrahim is in the kitchen, preparing dough for desserts. He sees me at the counter, opens the door to the kitchen and asks, “How was everything?” After I respond that the food was amazing and delicious, he grins and nods, “You are welcome. We hope to see you again.” It is clear that each and every customer is valuable to the family, and the food is prepared with great care.
Amidst the captivating blend of flavors and the warm hospitality at Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant in the Bevo Mill neighborhood, I glimpsed the resilience and strength of individuals that had to make many sacrifices in pursuit of a better life. They sought safety and a fresh start in St Louis, and they share their unique cultural heritage and culinary traditions. St Louis has a complex historical narrative, often characterized by division and a resistance to embracing cultural diversity. To move beyond our challenges in the city, it is paramount to recognize how the contributions of refugees enrich our communities and broaden our horizons.
Sources:
https://www.stlmag.com/dining/majeed-mediterranean-restaurant-opens-in-bevo/