{"id":214703,"date":"2026-03-11T11:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/214703\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T11:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:04:27","slug":"l-a-s-persian-community-gathers-to-process-amid-mixed-emotions-about-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/214703\/","title":{"rendered":"L.A.\u2019s Persian community gathers to process amid mixed emotions about Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A cheerful buzz filled the interior of Meymuni Cafe on Saturday afternoon, as groups of Iranians trickled in from a protest at the Federal Building down the street, proudly displaying \u201cFree Iran\u201d and \u201cMake Iran great again\u201d merch.<\/p>\n

Laughter rippled through the 2,000-square-foot space as diners chatted over complimentary rice cookies and steaming cups of Persian chai infused with rose petals.<\/p>\n

As owner Shaheen Ferdowsi looked around his shop, he remarked, \u201cEveryone here is Iranian right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pitted <\/p>\n

Pitted dates, rice cookies, raisin cookies and tea are offered for free at Meymuni Cafe every weekend.<\/p>\n

(Stella Kalinina \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

It was one week after the death of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/a>. Westwood and its surrounding neighborhoods were pulsing with Iranian pride.<\/p>\n

Before L.A.\u2019s Persian community grew to become the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran, it was concentrated in Westwood, also known as Tehrangeles. Flanking the city-designated Persian Square at the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue is an established collection of cafes, restaurants and markets that have long served as community hubs for Persians to gather, share a meal and process global events. <\/p>\n

\"Demonstrators <\/p>\n

Demonstrators pass by Shaherzad Restaurant on Westwood Boulevard.<\/p>\n

(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

In the days following Khamenei\u2019s death, the neighborhood swelled as Iranians took to the streets to celebrate, with many hopeful it would lead to the fall of the Islamic Republic that has ruled Iran for nearly 50 years. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur people [would] rather to be dead than living under the Iranian government \u2026 they don\u2019t have food, they don\u2019t have any right to live,\u201d said Reza Sadeghi, an Irvine resident who was dining at Shaherzad Restaurant in Westwood.<\/p>\n

While some expressed mixed feelings about the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that has killed over 1,300 civilians, according to Iran\u2019s United Nations ambassador<\/a>, many were happy with the U.S. military intervention. <\/p>\n

\"L.A.'s <\/p>\n

L.A.\u2019s Persian restaurants serve as essential gathering spaces for Iranians to break bread and process global events.<\/p>\n

(Stella Kalinina \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a roller coaster of emotion,\u201d said Terry K., an L.A. resident and guest at Meymuni Cafe, who declined to give her last name due to safety concerns. \u201cIt\u2019s 90% happiness, but 10% is you thinking about your family that are there \u2026 but every achievement has a consequence \u2026 We accept the consequence right now and we wanted this, so we are happy about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thousands of Iranians have protested almost every weekend in Westwood and downtown L.A. since February<\/a>, following a violent protest crackdown in Iran in January that killed thousands of people, with one toll estimating over 30,000 civilian deaths<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a pretty unreal sight to see, as far as how many Iranians came together for something they believed very passionately about,\u201d said Farbod \u201cFreddy\u201d Papen, one of the owners of Persian ice cream shop Saffron and Rose. \u201cIt was really nice for Westwood, for Persian Square to see such a turnout as far as having people from other states and countries come and be part of our little cultural hub.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, nearby Persian restaurants have seen an influx of diners as people stop for a meal after attending a protest. <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Reza Sadeghi, from left, Ali Fallahi and Samira Nadim of Irvine dine at Shaherzad Restaurant after attending a demonstration at the nearby Federal building.<\/p>\n

(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Papen said his ice cream shop saw throngs of new customers on protest days, causing him to bring in more staff and increase hours. The unexpected surge in business forced him to go back and forth from his warehouse to the shop two to three times a day to restock items.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese demonstrations and these protests the last few weeks have absolutely been the most challenging days that I\u2019ve experienced being part of this business,\u201d Papen said.<\/p>\n

A kotlet sandwich has become a post-protest routine for many Iranians. <\/p>\n

The kotlet sandwich, a popular street food with ground meat patties, tomato, herbs and sliced pickles, has become a staple for Iranians after Khamenei\u2019s fall. Memes and videos<\/a> have circulated using the kotlet as a mocking symbol of a defeated leader, alluding to the meat being crushed in the sandwich.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis specific food has turned to a symbolic thing for people that get destroyed that aren\u2019t good people,\u201d Terry K. said.<\/p>\n

Persian restaurants also provide a safe space for Iranians to connect with others within the diaspora. <\/p>\n

\"Suzan <\/p>\n

Suzan Mehrabian and Nikki Amiri enjoy drinks at Meymuni Cafe.<\/p>\n

(Stella Kalinina \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Third-year UCLA student Tara Kaviani said she was dining at a Persian restaurant in Silver Lake one day after attending a protest, when two Persian women approached her to talk about Iran, which had never happened before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that sense of we\u2019re all in this together,\u201d Kaviani said.<\/p>\n

Papen said that before the Feb. 28 air strike, it seemed like \u201ca sense of hope was being lost\u201d after speaking with his customers and overhearing conversations in the shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then when that air strike happened and they took out all the top leaders and stuff, the energy shifted \u2026. People were extremely, extremely happy,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\"Sandwiches <\/p>\n

Kotlet sandwiches have become a post-protest routine for many Iranians, with the ground meat patties symbolizing a defeated leader.<\/p>\n

(Stella Kalinina \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Meymuni Cafe has become a popular stop before and after protests, with Ferdowsi welcoming customers with drops of relaxing lavender oil for their hands and free snacks. Opened in 2025, the modern Persian cafe serves barbari bread and lavash wrap sandwiches, tahini-date shakes and chai lattes, plus a full slate of events aimed at uplifting the local Persian community.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing here feels like they are walking into a Persian home,\u201d Ferdowsi said. \u201cIt has a very homey, non-transactional feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the ongoing war in Iran, Ferdowsi said his mission has transitioned from elevating Persian culture to \u201cspreading love and positive energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople just don\u2019t want to feel alone,\u201d he said. \u201cI think people are here to celebrate and enjoy and be happy together \u2026 That doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t care about what\u2019s going on in Iran. They want to express solidarity with Iran \u2026 you can only do so much if you\u2019re sad all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Customers <\/p>\n

Customers dine at Saffron and Rose, an ice cream shop on Westwood Boulevard.<\/p>\n

(Dania Maxwell \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Saffron and Rose, a family-owned business founded by Papen\u2019s grandfather in Tehran and later in L.A., continues to provide a sense of community for regulars who have been coming for decades. Papen even said he\u2019s met guests that used to visit his grandfather\u2019s shop in Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood is such a universal thing,\u201d he said. \u201cBut especially this ice cream shop. I\u2019ve definitely noticed that it brings a nostalgia, it brings a memory \u2026 you\u2019re momentarily transported back to a time and day, a vibe that has not existed for the last 50 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

As many Iranians continue to push for the fall of the regime, many are still concerned for their families back home who remain under threat and do not have access to the internet for communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing out, making food together, coming here, celebrating \u2014 I value it, we all value it, we want to do it, but we want to do it when everyone else is doing it too,\u201d Terry K. said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to celebrate here when my family is not celebrating back there \u2026 it hasn\u2019t finished; we are not free yet.\u201d<\/p>\n