Taste of home: How kindness helped small businesses stay afloat during Iran war
Eight hundred kilograms of premium tomatoes were at risk of going to waste when orders to Yassine Azzouni's Dubai business collapsed in the opening days of the Iran war. With restaurants and hotels closed, the Algerian-Canadian supplier invited friends and relatives to collect the produce for free from his warehouse. And what began as an effort to save the tomatoes soon became a lifeline for his…
In the opening days of the Iran war, Yassine Azzouni's Dubai business faced the risk of losing eight hundred kilograms of premium tomatoes when orders to his restaurant and hotel clientele collapsed. To save his tomatoes, Azzouni, known as the Tomato Man, invited friends and relatives to collect the produce for free from his warehouse.
This act of kindness turned into a lifeline for his business as friends began sharing photos of the distinctive heart-shaped tomatoes on social media, leading to dozens of residents requesting deliveries directly to their homes.
Azzouni, who initially relied on the hospitality industry, began selling to the public instead. Chef Milan Jurkovic of 21 grams Bistro, a traditional customer of Azzouni's, praised the tomatoes for their unique sweetness and umami taste, reminiscing about the homegrown tomatoes from his Serbia. Chef Jurkovic's positive feedback helped Azzouni's business as he moved from manual orders to an online portal, marking a new revenue stream for his two-year-old business.
The kindness of the community played a crucial role in keeping Azzouni's business afloat during the challenging times, emphasizing the spirit of unity and support within Dubai.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Taste of home: How kindness helped small businesses stay afloat during Iran war thenationalnews.com
