Najati Abdalla, a native of Somalia, immigrated to the United States in 2008. In 2016, she began working with the IRC in Salt Lake City and launched her own business – Namash Swahili Cuisine. Her restaurant specializes in traditional Somali and Kenyan family recipes that she learned from her mother, who owned her own food business. Najati developed her passion for cooking at 12, as she helped her mother sell street food in Somalia and Kenya. She wanted to share her experiences of home with the Salt Lake City community and thus founded her business. Her pride lies in providing excellent customer service and serving authentic Somali and Kenyan dishes, such as chapati, chicken curry, and coconut beans.
As a new business owner, Najati initially struggled with and lacked confidence in sharing her story and speaking to potential customers. However, she developed the skills to promote herself and her business over time. Customers who sampled her delicious food returned for more and placed catering orders for larger events. The supportive small business team helped Najati foster a community that embraced her and her enterprise, enabling her to find new customers and grow her business.
Najati, who started as a caterer, successfully expanded her business by opening a popular food truck in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her business suffered, and she began planning to open a brick-and-mortar location. With the help of IRC SLC’s Spice Kitchen Incubator and IRC SLC Small Business team, Najati revised her business plan, created cash flow projections, and learned about reviewing real estate contracts. After almost two years of preparation, Najati opened her new restaurant in March 2023. Operating a restaurant comes with unique challenges, but Najati has hired two full-time staff members and continues to receive support from the small business counselors at IRC SLC.
Website: https://namashswahilicuisine.com/