Sudbury's Damascus Restaurant owners bounce back from yet another challenge
A Syrian restaurant in Greater Sudbury that was forced to close because of a fire has rebuilt and reopened.
Being shut down since mid-winter is just one of many challenges the Qarqouz family has faced. They were forced to flee their home country in 2016 because of a brutal civil war.
"We left from Syria with our pants and shirts that’s it," Mohammad Qarqouz said Thursday, of the family's arrival in northern Ontario.
“My dad worked at Golden Grain (Bakery), he worked at Costco, he worked at Regency Bakery and then he decided to open his own restaurant … We lost our restaurant, our business, our home -- we lost everything back home."
The family opened Damascus Restaurant downtown in April 2018. While in that location the family dealt with vandalism and theft before the lease ran out and the building was ultimately torn down.
They took a few months to find a new location, but when they opened again, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and then, most recently a fire.
They closed again for three months to repair the damages.
“Some of the stuff we could clean," Qarqouz said. "It took a while -- just the smell was in here for probably the last two weeks before we opened."
Through it all, the family said Sudburians have been supportive.
“I think, especially in the last couple years, we’ve all seen, you know, a shift towards local because this is the heartbeat of the city," said regular customer Judd Hards.
"It's where everybody comes and dines and eats and does everything. If you don’t support local then they’re all going to disappear."
The owners said they lost two employees due to the closure after the fire, so it’s been a father-and-son-run operation for the most part. They are now hoping to give back and to help Ukrainian refugees by offering them employment.
“My door is open for every Ukrainian," said Hussein Qarqouz. "I (could) use two or three Ukraine people with me because very good cooking and food there.”
Damascus is open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.