Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Bitar.
Hi Melissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I grew up in the restaurant business with my parents. They owned several restaurants throughout the metro Detroit area. I was 8 years old when they opened their first restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I was obsessed with the dishwasher. My dad would pick me up from school and take me to the restaurant and I’d go straight to the dishwasher and wash all the dishes. I was nosey growing up anything I saw my mom do I would want to do what she did. My brother was a little bit older than I was and he was serving tables I would also prepare the bread baskets for him and help him make drinks.
As he got older, he didn’t wasn’t to be there much and left me with my parents. By the time I was 16, I ran the entire 75-seat restaurant by myself. Serving customers all alone. My grandma Marie would come at times to help my mom with preparing foods like grape leaves or making Kibbe balls and I would sit down with them and watch so closely. They would give me a piece of meat to play with or grape leaves to roll on my own and eventually, I learned how to do them on my own. I owned Mandaloun bistro in Bingham Farms Michigan a fine dining Lebanese bistro. Full bar, banquets, etc. I taught myself and defiantly learned from many mistakes. Covid kilns set us back and we had to close down and my family decided to move to Miami.
I opened this concept as a less work more money concept. I didn’t want to open such a big place that took most of my time up I would work seven days open close and not have much time for myself. I never found myself wanting to be in the restaurant business I got accepted into Wayne State for law school before I opened up Mandaloun Bistro but my brother was framed by Detroit police for murder back in 2011 and I found myself dropping out and pursuing my career in the restaurant business to support my family and help my brother. I faced a lot of challenges being only 21. As I said, I made a lot of mistakes and had to teach myself so many things to make it here today once again opening another restaurant. Life is hard but we always have to keep on pushing through.
Thankfully, my brother made it out and we all decided to move to Miami for a fresh start. I opened this restaurant hoping one day to expand and franchise. Mint Beirut is a new beginning for me in a new state that I love so much. I can run the restaurant from front to back. From cooking to cleaning to serving customers to marketing and so much more it’s all me and I’m proud to say that I can do it and have all this knowledge from so much trial and error and life challenges I have faced throughout my life. One of my closest and dear friends Donna is also my partner in Mint and we hope to expand and franchise together.
It’s a blessing to have someone support your vision and see you work hard and grow through everything you go through. I owe it all to her and my mother Malake my angel that’s always had my back as well. Women supporting women is a beautiful thing to be a part of. I’m blessed to have such powerful ones in my corner. My mom makes desserts as well. All in-house made fresh and daily.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing comes easy like I said I didn’t choose this part of my life I feel like it chose me. Because of my brother’s situation, I didn’t have time to think about myself or what I wanted or loved. I had to work and help support him and my parents and myself while going through that pain for many years. I grew to love it though; I can do it all no matter what obstacle I’m faced with I know how to handle and get through.
Nothing comes easy and some days are harder to get through than most. The beginning of opening any restaurant is the hardest but once you get through the first few months it’s a smooth ride. Having good help is important so I’m in the process of also building a good team that’s trustworthy and can help me pursue my dream of opening more locations throughout Miami. The restaurant business is the hardest to be in it takes a lot of work effort and time out of your life. I’m OCD very clean I like everything to be organized.
Presentation is everything to me. Building a brand is hard but when you have the right support around you it helps to build it. As I said, I have two powerful women that have my back. My mom my angel she’s been working since she was 11 years old in the restaurant with her mother. My grandma taught me a lot as well before she passed. The family recipes are gold. True authentic Lebanese food. It’s like you’re eating your moms home cooked meals! It doesn’t get better than that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Mint Beirut is an authentic Mediterranean Lebanese restaurant. The recipes are over 100 years old coming back from my great grandma passed down to my grandma then my mom then me. I think that’s something to be very proud of. I see many restaurants around us that are “Lebanese” but not the real deal. I always tell my customers first-timers that come in a “money-back guarantee” because I know it’s that good. We work from the heart here. Anything that I would eat I would sell to my customers.
Anything I wouldn’t I don’t sell it’s plain and simple. I find the best quality in the meats produce etc. I want the best for my customers. It’s also very healthy the “Mediterranean diet”. Nowadays everything is so corporately run and made up and not the real foods of Lebanon and that bothers me. What I’m serving here is what I grew up on and it’s exciting and a blessing to be able to share it with many people.
What makes you happy?
Happiness has been something that I’ve been in search of myself, but after the dark storm my family and I endured because of Detroit all I want to see is my parents happy. Their happiness is my happiness. It’s a blessing to be able to bless your parents and help them.
The fact that I still have my mom by my side working 7 days a week with me open close at 65 years old is a blessing. To be able to work side by side with her is happiness. To be able to share these amazing foods with my customers is happiness. To be able to get another chance to do this again is a blessing and that makes me happy. I am finally able to follow my dreams and do something for me in Miami! That’s happiness.
Pricing:
- Lunch specials are $15 build your plate
- Wraps $13
- Salads 9$-17$
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mintbeirutmiami.com
- Instagram: @mint_beirut
- Facebook: mint Beirut
