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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4283933_web1_260604-Habibiz-Cafe-0035.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Habibiz Caf\u00e9 at 225 McDermot Ave.<\/p>\n
The brothers signed the lease for 225 McDermot Ave., formerly the home of Shawarma Khan, on April 1.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve been renovating since then, installing new flooring and equipment, bringing in new tables and chairs, and adding a marbled acrylic wall with a blue neon sign bearing the restaurant\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
The 1,500-square-foot eatery will have six to 10 employees and seat around 25 guests, Sammy said.<\/p>\n
The menu features the same authentic Middle Eastern and halal food the brothers serve at the first Habibiz Caf\u00e9, located close to Rae & Jerry\u2019s Steak House at 1373 Portage Ave.<\/p>\n
There won\u2019t be any hookah \u2014 a water pipe that is used to smoke shisha, a mixture of tobacco and molasses, sugar or fruit \u2014 in the new restaurant for now, but that might change, Ali said.<\/p>\n
His hope for the new restaurant is the same hope he\u2019s had for the Portage Avenue location.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust grow and keep serving Palestinian and Middle Eastern cuisine with our Canadian touch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ali, 32, and Sammy, 30, are the youngest of six boys born to Palestinian-born parents. Sammy was a Red Seal mechanic until a 2018 trip to Quebec inspired him to put down his tools.<\/p>\n
While visiting Montreal with a group of friends, the youngest Zeid was exposed to hookah lounges. After returning to Winnipeg, he couldn\u2019t stop thinking about these spots where people gathered to smoke, talk and play cards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he came back, he kept talking about hookah lounge, hookah lounge, hookah lounge,\u201d recalled Ali, who was working with newcomers at the time.<\/p>\n
Sammy convinced his brother to join him in starting a lounge and restaurant of their own. They named it by taking the word \u201chabibi,\u201d a term of endearment used across the Arab world that means \u201cmy love\u201d or \u201cloved one,\u201d and adding a \u2018z\u2019 at the end for Zeid.<\/p>\n
The first caf\u00e9 opened in October 2020. It\u2019s 3,000 sq. ft., employs 10 to 15 people and seats more than 80 guests. The brothers use recipes that have been passed down for generations on their mother\u2019s side of the family, Ali said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Owners Sammy and Ali Zeid are putting the final touches on their second Habibiz Caf\u00e9 location in time for its grand opening today.<\/p>\n At the beginning of January, vandals smashed the front windows of the Portage Avenue caf\u00e9 and left behind a racist note.<\/p>\n It was devastating and hurtful, Ali said. At the same time, he was touched by the community\u2019s response. People from all walks of life stopped in, called and sent messages to show their support.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were born and raised in St. James. Never left St. James,\u201d Ali said. \u201cSo knowing that the community was there for us and had our backs made us want to strive even more and grow even more.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Rod Sasaki owns Warehouse Artworks at 222 McDermot Ave. He\u2019s glad the Zeids are setting up shop in the Exchange District, where he\u2019s operated his business since 1979.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more (restaurants), the better,\u201d Sasaki said. \u201cIt just generates traffic. The more people on the street, the safer it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Ali says that he spent a lot of time in the Exchange District in his 20s, so in some ways, it feels like home. \u201cWe want to grow with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n The grand opening takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Opening day deals include $5 wraps and any platter for $10, Ali said.<\/p>\n aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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