With its old style the Fouad Halawa Restaurant which was opened in 1936 in the heart of the old town of Nablus in the northern West Bank is considered the oldest operating restaurant in the city which continues to exist despite time and the change of circumstances.
Abu Imad an 82-year old elderly sits in the early hours of the morning with his usual smile speaking about the past times of the restaurant when Al-Nasr Square was full of life where a mosque and the historical Lighthouse of Victory are located with the restaurant preserving its simple traditional heritage for decades.
The Victory Restaurant was called so after the victory of Palestinians following the 1936 Revolution says Abu Imad adding “The restaurant has been the source of the family’s livelihood for many years and is still so. He notes that the restaurant has not changed since it was founded but today it has no name in the market. It is the oldest restaurant in the region and everyone knows it. The restaurant receives a few customers who come specifically to have food at it or the family’s acquaintances.”
Abu Imad joined his father at the restaurant after completing his 6th grade at school. He still keeps what his father left of dishes spoons and meat grills which he brought from Aleppo (Syria) decades ago. “I stay at the restaurant until the evening whether there is work to do or not.”
The restaurant is located a few meters from the Clock Tower which was built I the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II which is several meters high and could be seen from several areas in Nablus.
The restaurant used to be packed with customers during the British Mandate. It is located in Bab Al-Sahah where the government departments and the British military governor were located as well as the Nablus prison and detention center. Abu Imad complains about the decline in the purchase power in the recent years.
Abu Imad told the PIC reporter that his customers are known today and they are limited to the people of the Old Town. Some customers prefer to bring meat tomatoes and onions to Abu Imad to make barbecue for them.
He added “While at this restaurant I helped members of the family graduate from school including doctors lawyers and engineers” pointing out that his children became dentists and the restaurant helped sending them to school.
Abu Imad recalls the days when he was working alongside his father and six other workers but now there is no one except him working at the restaurant.
He called on the official authorities to open governmental offices in the Old Town which will bring about economic improvement adding “If you look at the area now you will see no movement throughout the day.”
Abu Imad noted that the economic situation has been weak for nearly five years because people prefer to go to restaurants in the center of the city expressing his deep sadness of what happened to the restaurant. He concluded by lamenting the old days wishing that his restaurant would thrive anew.
