Beirut's Superhero Now Needs A Hero of His Own

I was so bummed to discover that one of my favorite restaurants downtown, Captain Cook, shuttered its shop on December 31. Here’s the message that was posted on their Facebook page:

Dear friends, 

As of December 31, 2014, we have closed our location in Beirut downtown after 17 months of operation.
We can proudly say that it was a successful year and almost a half. We won several awards and recognitions, and most importantly your satisfaction.
However, as much as we loved Beirut and believed in its resurrection, we hit our limits especially after the road was blocked in front of us for the last 3 months.
We decided to shut down and find another more suitable location.
We apologize from all our loyal friends and thank you for your understanding.
Hoping to see you all soon after announcing our new location.

I was a staunch advocate for Captain Cook’s success, having sampled much of their delicious fare and blogged on numerous occasions (one, two, three, four, five, six times!) about the concept and food. Among my favorites were the Chia and Captain Mix Salads for their wholesome ingredients as well as rock-bottom prices. The Captain Burger, too, was a stomach-sating treat, with its tower-like presentation and tender, tastes-like-home beef patty.

Beyond the edible, I had the privilege and great pleasure to strike up a friendship with the restaurant owner, Rana Abou Nassar. She poured her heart and soul into Captain Cook, and it was evident from her enthusiasm, warm service with customers, and dedication to the “superfoods” concept in Lebanon that she wasn't in it for the money. In fact, she used her own limited funds to open and propel the restaurant, though I could imagine several investors getting behind the venture if properly approached.

Here’s hoping that the young visionary musters support and comes back with a mighty bang. Beirut’s distressed hero Captain Cook now needs a hero of his own!


Comments

  1. nouchalineJanuary 12, 2015 at 1:28 PM

    no wayy!!! We order from there all the time :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BeirutistaJanuary 12, 2015 at 2:55 PM

      It's like a few hundred meters from my office...I used to pop in all the time 😢

      Delete
    2. UnknownJanuary 13, 2015 at 9:53 AM

      i am sad i havent go the chance to try it before, let us know about the new location plz

      Delete

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