SPOKANE, Wash. — Two years after opening as Spokane’s first Afghan restaurant, Emran’s owner says he’s struggling to keep customers coming back following a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., allegedly involving an Afghan national.
The first restaurant sits on Division Street in North Spokane and serves traditional Afghan food. Owner Nasrollah Mohammadi expanded to Coeur d’Alene over a year ago. He says both locations were doing well until two weeks ago.
“It’s the customer when they are coming for the first time and they try our food they really like, and they are coming back,” Mohammadi said.
But Mohammadi explains that something changed after a shooting in Washington, D.C. Two weeks ago, a 29-year-old Afghan man allegedly shot two National Guard members, killing one.
Mohammadi says customers stopped coming after that national tragedy.
“So the people stopped coming. I don’t know why. And, our business completely stopped,” Mohammadi said.
The Coeur d’Alene location took the biggest hit, according to Mohammadi. He says it used to serve about 40 people a day. Now he’s lucky to see one customer.
Mohammadi also notices people treating him and his community differently.
“Some people when they are walking, some they are, they are not looking like they see us like before,” Mohammadi said.
Customer Shanna Porter was eating at the restaurant recently when she learned about what was happening. Her daughter loves coming here.
“I think it’s just heartbreaking for me, the sadness. That there’s not unity. And we can so quickly turn on people,” Porter said.
Mohammadi says the Coeur d’Alene restaurant might have to close because business is so slow. That would hurt the Spokane location too, since it depends on the other store staying open.
Mohammadi hopes people will remember that one person’s actions don’t represent everyone.
“But one person [does] not mean all the country or all that people,” Mohammadi said.
Both restaurants are still open, but if business doesn’t change, Mohammadi will need to make a big decision.
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