'Falafel Philanthropy': Restaurant in Washington DC feeding refugees around the world

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Europe

02:47

A restaurateur in Washington DC is helping refugees around the world. Ahmad Ashkar is donating some of the proceeds from his falafel shop to feed refugees while also giving his customers a taste of Palestinian cuisine. Jim Spellman has the story.

Palestinian American Ahmad Ashkar came to the U.S. with his family in the 1980s.

AHMAD ASHKAR OWNER, FALAFEL INC. "One of our identifiers as young kids growing up in Middle America was our cultural heritage and our food."

Craving the food of his youth AND looking for an opportunity to help refugees and migrants of all kinds-- he opened the eatery Falafel Inc. in Washington DC.

AHMAD ASHKAR OWNER, FALAFEL INC. "I launched Falafel Inc. which has two purposes: to re-invent the Palestinian cuisine of street food. Of falafel and hummus, and also feed and empower refugees from around the world."

Ashkar has committed to help refugees through his restaurant - a mission that has grown more urgent to him as the Trump Administration has taken steps to block refugees and other immigrants from entering the US.

AHMAD ASHKAR OWNER, FALAFEL INC. "Our Falafel Inc. stores will employ and empower refugees in two ways: one is by giving them job opportunities and the other is by feeding them. For every 10 dollars which is spent in the store through our partnership with the World Food Program, we're deploying a day's worth of food for those refugees."

He says since opening six months ago, he has donated more than 50- thousands dollars. Jim Spellman: "What is Falafel?"

RONY CABRER FALAFEL INC. "Falafel is very simple: it's made out of chickpeas and fresh vegetables. It's very simple."

The mixture is formed into balls, cooked in oil and served in a salad or sandwich.

Jim Spellman: "Now, we have a completed falafel sandwich. I'm going to try it. Delicious!" Clerk: "What can I get for you today?"

The Falafel Inc. story spread online and by word of mouth, and the restaurant took off.

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON DC "So far, Falafel Inc. has been a big success. Most days, there's a line like this just to get in."

Shahda Rawi is an Iraqi-American. She loves the food.

SHAHDA RAWI CUSTOMER "This is the first real falafel I have gotten in Washington DC that is competitive with a great falafel in the Middle East."

And she loves the mission.

SHAHDA RAWI CUSTOMER "People are so overwhelmed with their lives that they don't get the time or the chance to think of others so others are thinking about others, and I think that's a great thing."

Ahmad Ashkar says he will open seven more stores soon and hopes to one day have more than 100 shops -- spreading comfort food while helping refugees around the world. Jim Spellman, CGTN, Washington.