‘It’s a Chicken Salad’: Meet the Man Whose Deli Is All Over TikTok

Have you ever at all times loved making meals for folks?
Oh, I like cooking. I at all times needed a restaurant. I’m Palestinian, however I used to be born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. My dad used to take us abroad. He needed us to discover ways to converse Arabic and he needed us to study our tradition. Each summer season we’d go over there. Then, once I was a youngster, he needed to maneuver again for longer. So he opened just a little sandwich store subsequent to our home in East Jerusalem and I labored there. I’ve appreciated to make sandwiches ever since I used to be just a little child.

We ended up shifting again to the US a couple of yr later due to the battle.

When did you begin operating the deli?
I took over the enterprise from my dad in 2005. He was operating it like a daily comfort retailer. However I knew folks needed one thing to eat, so I began promoting corned beef sandwiches and gyros in 2006. Each time I realized one thing new, I added it to the menu.

Why did you begin filming prospects and posting on TikTok?
I do not actually know an excessive amount of about Instagram and Fb and TikTok, however a couple of month in the past I began getting hip to it. Since I took over the shop, I needed to do completely different ads. So I stated, “All proper, ’Nisha, I’m going to provide the salad [for free]. Can I put you on TikTok?” She was like, “All proper, that’s cool.”

Do you know one another already?
Oh, I’ve identified ’Nisha since she was little.

What occurred after you posted the video?
For the primary two months nothing actually occurred. However then it went loopy this month; 100,000 views and lots of likes. Then it hit 600,000. I used to be like, “Man, that is going viral.”

What’s within the salad?
The sauce is what actually makes it. And I don’t need to give away the sauce, you already know what I imply?

Honest sufficient. What are the opposite elements?
It is a spring combine, so lettuce and spinach and kale and all the good things. Then, I add cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, inexperienced peppers, a combination of shredded mozzarella and cheddar, croutons, banana peppers, and jalapenos. Clearly there’s grilled rooster. My secret sauce goes on prime. My mother taught me the sauce, so solely me and her find out about it.

Are you able to inform me something in regards to the sauce?
Effectively, the primary ingredient is an Arabic spice that’s grown in Palestine. So it’s mainly olive oil, lemon juice, and my particular seasoning.

Have issues modified on the deli because the video went off?
Oh yeah. I’m making triple the sum of money that I often make. And individuals are coming from all over: Las Vegas, California, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Atlanta, Portland. Yesterday, anyone got here from Alabama. They informed me how lengthy it took to return and I’m like, “Are you severe?” The entire native fireplace division got here yesterday. They by no means got here to my retailer earlier than this. One in every of them stated, “I by no means even knew there was a deli over right here.”