5 minute read
Il-Ħames Vista
from Seba' Visti
by ZIGZAG
Elbow-deep in pastizzi dough
ARTICLE BY
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Fran Stivala
V. “Ejja, let’s have a drink!” he says loudly as he grabs a few cold ones. Wearing an all-black outfit, classic Nike Air Max’s and sporting a fresh haircut, Iousef Meli directs us towards his best table with sunny views of the piazza in Paola in his new restaurant Antelli’s. As he walks around behind the bar; getting us drinks and joking around with one of the servers, I look down to the square below and watch as locals go about their daily lives. The view is great as it features both modern architecture as well as a traditional grand church. At peak dining hours, I imagine the vibe and atmosphere to be fantastic. Just as I was thinking this, Iousef appears and says in his permanently jovial voice, “Let’s sit, għax I’ve had a very long day and expect it to get busier for dinner service, imma għadni m’għajjejtx” and giggles, knowing that he is doing very well for himself. Iousef is 22 years old, runs 4 businesses around the island, has many friends, is usually in a good mood and probably knows a thing or more about the ways of the working
36 Il-Ħames Vista
V. world than you or I. Only a year ago, Iousef’s life was very different. He wasn’t working in the catering business nor did he think he would one day own 3 eateries. In his even younger days, Iousef used to lead a very different life; he played for the Maltese national football team, enjoyed spending time with his friends, be it eating out or clubbing, and loved spending quality time with his family. Today, he lives the life of a young businessman. As fun and exciting as his career path may be, he has been faced with many struggles. “Probably, my biggest struggle is that I don’t have enough time to hang out with my friends and sometimes even my family. It’s very important for me to spend time with them whenever I have some time off,” he says. This is probably his least favourite aspect of working in this field as he is extremely extroverted and values time spent with his closest friends and family. Cigarette lit and his gaze observing the nearby activities, he almost looks like a long-time businessman who has seen it all and experienced everything possible as he tells me how his career began. He names one of his closest friends as an important
Elbow-deep in pastizzi dough
Ejja, let’s have a drink!
figure in his career. He explains how his friend guided him in the right direction whenever he was unsure of any of his business ventures, needed help making decisions and how to better operate during the early days. Apart from the advice from his friend, Iousef says that he learned everything that he knows today on the job itself. His ability to adapt to new and changing situations, as well as his personal drive, allowed him to not only succeed in starting his own business but also to delve into different areas.
“I never imagined that I would one day own a pastizzeria, let alone another one in a different location, as well as a restaurant.” Iousef’s first solo career involved buying and taking over the Sphinx Pastizzeria in Attard. Here, he learned how hard work, dedication and perseverance pay off, and with good results. This was not an easy way of life for him; in fact, it initially proved to be quite difficult. He recalls how waking up at 5 in the morning in order to prepare himself and the pastizzeria for the day ahead and closing shop at around 9 at night was extremely tough and often challenging. This new way of life was very different to what he was used to. However, he tells me that he enjoys his time working at the pastizzeria, even though now he has to divide his time between his other businesses. “I enjoyed meeting regular customers in the early hours of the morning or at night because they talk to me and share things about their lives as though I am their best friend”, he says with a smile on his face, remembering momentous and sometimes funny encounters. Now, he enjoys this same relationship with his customers at his restaurant where he can spend more time discussing current affairs and banter with the locals and colleagues.
Anyone who meets Iousef, even briefly, will be greeted with a wide grin and will feel like they’ve known him for the longest time. The atmosphere among the people working at the restaurant is lively and fun; it is obvious that working with Iousef is an enjoyable experience. This is all thanks to his likability and charm, which works wonders on anyone who crosses his path. His personality allowed him to develop strong and fruitful relationships with his customers as well as his colleagues. He has learned the tricks of the trade and is on his way to bigger things. With all his recent and quick success, Iousef does not forget the tougher times but is nostalgic and thankful for taking a leap of faith and taking the unconventional route.
“I haven’t had a night out in quite some time now. I need one soon!” His work doesn’t always allow him to meet his friends on the weekend, where they would typically go clubbing or have a few drinks at a bar, as most 22-year olds do. This bothered him at the beginning of
Ejja, let’s have a drink!
his career as he felt that he is missing out on all the fun experiences of youth. But, now he looks at it differently. Iousef, ever the optimist yet wise planner, explains that everything he is doing now, including all the hardship that comes with such a career path, will be worth it in the future and provide him with the comfort, stability and security that he needs to live the life of his dreams. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that pastizzeria in Attard,” he says as we cheer to his excellent entrepreneurship and future success.
...with my friends and sometimes even my family.
Il-ħajja fir-razzett mhix waħda faċli li tgħix ta’ kuljum, iżda għal Jean-Paul Fenech, din il-ħajja hija ferm għal qalbu, ġaladarba jsib il-bilanċ bejn il-ħajja tarrazzett u dik divertita.
