Bibby's Mediterranean Cafe Always Adding Flavors

After extensive training at the Culinary Institute of America in New Hyde Park, Joseph Ghazal opened on Main Street in Fort Lee in January 2007.

His mother, Samira, left her career in the high-end fashion industry to help Joey get the business off the ground. Joey’s brother, Rabieh Ghazal, was loving Hawaii at the time with his daughter, pursuing the opportunity to help out with Morimoto in Waikiki. It was a great experience and a lot of fun.

Rabieh had been working with Joey for two-and-a-half years before going to Hawaii, and he would have stayed there. But Joey was having trouble staying afloat in the business. It was also around the time that Border’s in Fort Lee was closing, and things on Main Street were definitely not positive. 

So Rabieh returned to Fort Lee from Hawaii to help out his brother so the business wouldn’t be forced to close. His goal was to expand the business and make changes to the menu to include more Mediterranean flavors.
   
Bibby, Joey’s cousin, helped finance the café, purchased it with Rabieh and renamed it "Bibby’s Mediterranean Café." Now Bibby takes care of the business end of things, and Rabieh is on the culinary side.

“Bibby also financed my move from Hawaii,” Rabieh said.

Joey grew tired of doing business seven days a week and is now in a catering business, working 40 hours a week.

Rabieh said, “I followed right in my mother and brother’s footsteps. I didn’t want to see the family business fail. All those great family recipes, I wouldn’t give it another thought. I love the job; I put in at least 80 hours a week.”

He added, “We’ve added organic smoothies to the menu as well as made additional room in front of the café.”

The customer base at Bibby’s is constant, with new faces arriving all the time. As Rabieh says, "Things might be even better if it wasn’t for the location."

"We are slightly off the beaten path, but the location means cheaper rent," he said.

Noting that new businesses are not filling the empty spaces in Fort Lee, Rabieh said supporting existing businesses makes sense. 

"The feedback on the internet has been great," he said. "In the beginning, we found we struggled during the slow season. Our visions were too big in the beginning. To keep up has been a struggle, financially. It’s always hit or miss in this business. The other businesses in Fort Lee and New York have been slow; it’s the time we’ve been in."

Plans to keep Bibby's going strong include expanding the business to include a high-quality food truck that would go around town to advertise and appeal to the customer on-the-go, Rabieh said.

"It would spread the name, 'Bibby’s,'" he said. “We feel strongly in our old family recipes. Everything from scratch, starting from nothing and creating healthy, scrumptious food.”

Staying natural is the way Rabieh feels his establishment can continue. He said they started out with falafels and hummus and have now added their own natural smoothies, organic coffee and fresh, flavorful tomato vegan soup.

Still, Rabieh says, times are slower than he would hope.

"Nothing is easy; keeping an optimistic attitude is key,” he said. ”I advise anyone asking my opinion about keeping a business running to always keep plenty of back-up money on hand, always believe in what you’re doing, keep positive and your energy up."

On the other hand, Rabieh said, staying in compliance with the borough’s rules and regulations is "tough."

"I’m speaking particularly about the awning committee; it’s ridiculous," he said. "The Borough of Fort Lee makes it very difficult for business owners to use their own ideas of what, why and where. We have to follow our neighbor in color [and] style. I’d like to do my own thing."

He said he wishes things were busier, but that he's grateful to his customers.

"They are what keep me here and help me continue day to day,” Rabieh said.

Regular customer Walter Richter, a doorman at Mediterranean South, said the food at Bibby's is "excellent, healthy, and the prices are reasonable." 

"I constantly recommend Bibby's and mention what a great, healthy, delicious meal it is," Richter said.

In addition to Rabieh, Bibby's has two other employees. Rabieh desribed Ali as being "like my right hand" and Mario as "my other right hand."

Bibby’s Mediterranean Café is located at 515 Main St. For information or to phone in an order, call 201-461-2700. Or you can visit them online.