From Selling Clothing to Making Pizza

Mohammed Boufatti never expected to live in America. And he certainly never expected to own and operate Barrington Pizzeria.

Boufatti grew up in Morocco, where he worked in sales, at one point owning his own clothing store. 

That changed in 1999, when Boufatti was 31, and he decided to visit his sister and some friends who were living in different parts of the U.S. His first stop in Providence, to visit his sister, Latifa, turned into his only stop.

On a night out in a Providence club, Boufatti met a young woman, Elizabeth Matos. The two fell in love and were married in 2001. They didn't go on their honeymoon straight away, instead deciding to go the following year on a romantic trip to Hawaii.

Unlike many other immigrants with similar origins, Boufatti said he did not experience any negative repercussions following the attacks of September 11.

"When we went on our honeymoon, I was expecting to be searched," said Boufatti.  "I was wearing sandals and clothing that was easy to remove. Instead, I saw the airport officials searching elderly people and babies. It didn't make any sense."

In Bristol, where Boufatti and his wife were living after they married, Boufatti said he never experienced any negative comments or actions either. He had a job at Classic Pizza, and the new husband worked hard at his job and at perfecting his English in preparation for becoming an American citizen, which he did in 2005.

After five years at Classic Pizza, Boufatti took a job managing El Pollo Loco at Foxwoods for three years. It was a long commute for the new dad (son Adam is now five) from his homein Riverside, and that made it easier for Boufatti to hear the siren song of owning his own business again.

"I wanted to be my own boss," said Boufatti. "I was tired of working for other people."

So, when the former Chicago Pizza came up for sale in 2009, Boufatti leaped at the chance. 

Over the months that followed, Boufatti slowly changed the recipes and the menu items, creating new pizzas and sandwiches, and adding pastas, soups, and gyros.

"The recession hasn't really affected us," said Boufatti, who convinced Latifa to come and work for him last July.

In any case, Boufatti is happy that he made the move to his own business in Barrington. 

"I enjoy that you get to know the customers here," he said.

And for a man who confessed he wasn't big on cooking before he came to America, he has apparently ended up in the right profession.

"I like pizza. I like that I can eat it every day," said Boufatti with a smile.