Dahia, Lebanon – Ahmed Wehbe did not expect his restaurant, Fries Lab, to survive the Israeli war on Lebanon.

The restaurant at Haret Hreik, Dahiyeh – a neighborhood that was targeting heavily during the war – is an Israeli blow in late November.

“I woke up to a call from a friend in Qatar,” said Wehbe, 28, on the island. He said that my restaurant was on a map of the targeted buildings published by the Israeli army. I rushed to verify. “

When he arrived, all the remaining joint of his small burger was a pile of rubble.

He said, “I was sad, but I was not destroyed.” “As long as my family and my loved ones were safe, I learned that I had to go forward. I couldn’t live anything. I expected to happen.”

The lights are in destruction

Harit Hreik’s main Street still has bright and colorful marks and entry to famous restaurants such as Falafel and Aga.

While the daylight fades, the vibrant neon lamps take place for restaurants, hiding the scenes of destruction everywhere.

Not all of them – Wehbe are among many restaurant owners who lost their business as Israel destroyed full spaces of Dahiyeh, although it was more fortunate.

Once the ceasefire deal was announced on November 27, people returned to their homes in Dahiyeh, and they saved what they could, and those who can repair their businesses.

Wehbe Restaurant was a complete loss, but only his kitchen was still intact, which allowed him to keep work.

Food is a passion for Wehbe, who was writing about his love on Instagram for a few years, but he is still working in the media analysis company.

“I did not study in the cooking school, but I have a passion for food. I love street food and understand the similes and flavors.”

The Fries Lab delivery branch is located in a corner near the destroyed site, and the sitting, healthy, next to a highly damaged building bearing the scars of Israeli strikes.

Seven drivers are waiting abroad, taking orders in the fast caliphate where employees work at home at the utmost speed, and are multiple orders of fried potatoes and burgers with colored sauces.

Distinctive chicken rolls excel with mozzarella, fried chicken and homemade spices, all in generous parts.

Despite the kitchen rush, everyone had their role – Grill Station, FRY station, assembly, quality monitoring – space calm is only disrupted by delivery drivers as they ask when their orders will be ready.

Abroad, one group of delivery drivers leave another arrival.

“We are now more preoccupied by the war,” said Wehbe. “I opened a temporary kitchen in Hamra during the war, but the orders there were not compared to the orders of Dahiyeh.”

“We knew that we would reopen us.”

The boots, in chih, is also running again.

It was not only open for 10 days before the war forced her to close – 10 days after the ceasefire, he had new windows and was open again.

The restaurant sits on the Saida Old Road, a crowded entry point to Dahiyeh, and escaped with its broken windows only, although the surrounding buildings have been severely damaged.

We knew that we would reopen it as soon as the war ended. “This was not negotiable,” said Zahra Hammoud, who participated in a province with her brother Ali, said Al -Jazeera.

But now, the atmosphere inside it is calm, as Western classic music is running quietly in the background.

Greetings of the shawarma smell to visitors at the door, which mixes with grilled chicken and grilled wings, and the famous list element is often seen leaving the kitchen in large batches.

The space is filled with gossip while families and friends discuss politics – the presidential elections are the most common theme – the family, and check each other’s brothers and loved ones.

Near the road, the cars pass through, while inside, the open kitchen gives a look at the event while preparing their food.

In the largest family tables, there is a spread of traditional Lebanese Misa such as chickpeas and tabbouh, with Farrouj – Chargrilled Chicken – occupies the center of the lead.

The smaller tables, which are often occupied by friends groups, accumulates with wings, and reach a fixed rotation of the kitchen.

Although it is not intended, the design divides the restaurant into two parts: friends usually sit in the section near the road, while families prefer the most intimate preparation at home.

Height challenges from rubble

While the restaurant industry in Dahiyeh is still highly demanding, the lack of clarity about compensation for damage leaves many owners in oblivion.

“Many owners are still looking for reasonable spaces to reopen or struggle to finance reforms,” ​​Nasser El Island said.

Wehbe estimates its losses at $ 25,000 and is not sure whether it will receive any financial compensation. However, he plans to open a new potato laboratory for his old location.

“This is difficult because the costs of materials have risen after the war, and I am alone in this, so I use all my savings,” he said.

However, he is confident that his new location will succeed and hope to turn it into a privilege.

Al -Hamoud also faced their challenges in reopening the garbage, as many of their Lebanese employees had escaped from the region, and the Syrian employees – who were in Lebanon throughout the Syria war – returned to the house.

In general, they lost about eight employees, and appreciated a flower. They were quick to employ new employees and keep the same list and prices, with special offers to attract new customers.

Nasser El Dine says the future of industry depends on the speedy rebuilding of residential areas and what solutions can be found to restore the displaced whose homes are destroyed.

In areas like Dahiyeh, a home of nearly a million people, many depend on fast food for the ability to withstand and comfortable costs.

He added: “Since Lebanon became only cash during the economic crisis, the demand for low -cost dining options has increased,” referring to the crises that have swept the Lebanon economy since 2019, which prompted most of the Lebanese to the poverty line.

Wehbe, which opened Fries Lab in 2022, says that the increase in new restaurants in Dahi, which are mostly Shiites, over the past three years because “the Shiites love eating,” said jokingly.

The government is working with the World Bank, which is also considering an emergency aid project for areas that need more, to assess damage.

“The people of Dahia loves life. Hammoud said,” They enjoy the exit and the experience of new places, “adding that they see an increase in the base.

It believes that it will not take long until the restaurant industry in Dahiyeh recovers, as people “shook the dust from themselves and began to appear more fun.”

While customers fill the restaurant, Zahraa is marking multiple roles, contacting employees and clients and checking applications in the kitchen before switching gears into a social media manager, and withdrawing its phone to capture content. It is rare to see her sitting.

She said: “The loss is huge, and all these martyrs died to ensure our continuation – to live and work and preserve our dignity.”

“enemy [Israel] She invested all her effort and money to destroy us, but here we can make it clear to them that it requires us less than a month to return to our feet. “