Egyptian Bar Immerses Brazilians Into Arab Culture

São Paulo – Born in Cairo, Egypt, Wael Zizo , 34, came to Brazil for the first time in 2016 on vacation. The trip lasted three months. But the civil engineer no longer wanted to stay in his homeland. He had been conquered by the Brazilians. So, in the following year, Wael packed his bags and moved. Currently, he owns Cairo Bar , which takes consumers to live an immersive experience in Arab culture.

Arab atmosphere in Porto Alegre

For everyone to feel comfortable, there is not only Arab culture in Cairo Bar. In addition to Egyptian music and belly dancers' presentations, which occur a few times a month, songs in English and Portuguese are played daily, with space for Brazilian genres pagode and samba. Wael says the primary goal of the space is not to make a profit but make people happy.

“I don't want people to buy something and leave; I want them to feel at home, in a safe place, different from everything else, and have an immersive experience in Arab culture.”

Customers can find typical products such as kibbeh and falafel on the menu at affordable prices, and some Brazilian dishes, such as cheese balls. Among the drinks, in addition to Arab coffee and tea , there are also drinks named after Egyptian personalities: Cleopatra, Pharaoh, Nefertiti, and Osiris.

Adaptation to Brazil

Wael explained he had adapted very well to Brazil, including the climate, which he claims is not very different from Cairo's. The longing he feels for his homeland is for his family. Therefore, once a year, he spends his holidays with them.

Wael Zizo: Choosing Brazil

“I have a huge family, including cousins, uncles, brothers, nephews, and parents; there are about 25 people. When I'm in Brazil, I really miss the food my mother cooks there. To kill the nostalgia of cooking, once a week, I get together with about 40 friends to try to make dishes similar to hers to make them happy,” he said.

The Egyptian explained the people that helped his adaptation were his Brazilian friends, who welcomed him right from the start.

“After I moved in 2017, I made friends that accompanied me when I went to play football, go to the gym and run. My friends helped me a lot in adapting; I ended up staying in Brazil because of them. My first friend here had a mind similar to mine. He spoke English with me and helped me learn Portuguese. I live with my culture peacefully, I say my prayers, and I like to help people.”

Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, the Egyptian says he had no problem learning Portuguese. When it came to working as a civil engineer, the owner of Cairo Bar found it challenging.“To work in my area in Brazil is difficult because they don't accept certificates from abroad, so I would need three more years of higher education before working as an engineer. To continue my life here, I decided to open my first bar, Tapas Bar.”

The first bar

Hookah bar

The first business prospered a lot, reaching two years of operation, until the arrival of the pandemic. To avoid agglomerations and the increase in cases of covid, several measures were taken by state governments, including the closure of businesses for a brief period. And like many businesses, the Tapas Bar ended up going bankrupt.

With the decrease in cases of covid and the lift of social distancing regulations, in June 2021, Wael decided to try again. The new bar was named and themed after the Egyptian's hometown.

“I like to take my time on what I do; even if my business was small initially, I knew it would grow little by little. Commerce is not just money; it also shows your culture, where you come from, and to meet nice people. I preferred to open something of my own than to work for someone else and thus build my story here.”

Special report by Rebecca Vettore for ANBA.

Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro

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