Sawa’s offerings include hamburger-sized buns stuffed with veggies or meat. (Courtesy Sawa)
A Denver couple is looking to bring the city together with their food. It’s literally in the name.
Sara Hamid and her husband, Nasr Ahmed, plan on opening Sawa at 1737 E. Evans Ave. by DU this March. The name translates to “together” in Arabic and is an homage to the wide variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures that their food comes from.
“You’re going to eat the best hummus of your life (here), I guarantee it,” Ahmed said.
Sara Hamid and Nasr Ahmed
The eatery, which the couple claims is the first Mediterranean/Middle Eastern buffet in the state, will serve classic dishes from the cuisine, like shawarma and falafel. It’ll take around $150,000 to build out the space, Ahmed said. Sawa has operated as a catering-only business since 2019.
Previously, the space was home to local convenience store Choice Market, which was open for only about six months, online reviews indicate. Before then, it was a Japanese takeout spot. Because of the building’s past, the couple won’t have to buy a new hood and grease trap.
Sawa signed a lease for the spot late last year. Solomon Stark, Adam Hubschman and Paul Cattin at NAI Shames Makovsky brokered the deal.
“The layout of the restaurant works great for us, being a buffet-style restaurant. It’s not too big or not too small. It’s right there in the middle,” Hamid said.
Hours and menus are still being decided, but the current plan is to be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends. Breakfast foods include shakshuka, labneh and halloumi cheese. Discounts will be given to DU students.
Half of their current business comes from the university community, she said. Adding the diversity of the college environment will make it easier for them to attract clientele.
As for food, there will also be unique offerings, like Hamid’s “fun buns,” which she describes as tasting like “a piece of cloud.” It’s a recipe she made completely from scratch – fresh, hamburger-sized buns stuffed with the customer’s choice of veggies or meat.
“Everything that we serve is unique. It’s our own herbs, it’s our own recipes,” Hamid said.
Hamid’s culinary skills are no mere accident. She holds two degrees in food science and nutrition, the second of which was from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2013. Despite cooking homestyle dishes, she places a heavy emphasis on making her food as healthy and accessible as possible.
“It’s about me and my background,” Hamid said. “If it’s hummus, it will be hummus with olive oil. There is no gluten, 100 percent gluten-free.”
That background begins in Sudan, where Hamid, now 39, first met Ahmed. She had been in school and Ahmed, now 44, was visiting a friend of hers in the early 2000s when the two became acquainted. Both had grown up near each other, Ahmed was from Omdurman and Hamid from Bahri.
“Which is basically like an Aurora and Denver kinda thing,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed moved to the U.S. in 2000 and Hamid in 2009. They married in 2008.
“It’s comforting to be able to eat authentic food,” Ahmed said. “When I first moved to the U.S., I lived in Michigan and it has the highest population of Arabs in the U.S., specifically in Dearborn. It was super easy for me to eat Middle Eastern food … there’s a few restaurants here that say “Mediterranean food” but it’s not good. It’s not up to our standards. And I say that because Sara is a very good cook, and I just got super used to her cooking.
“For me, it’s generational. I used to help my mom cook a lot. So when I do something really perfect the way she did it, I’m proud of myself. It’s a chef’s mindset. I’m giving you 30 years of experience of my mom’s cooking.”
Since arriving in the states, Hamid has been active in the broader Arab community. She employs about 18 Arab women from countries ranging from Libya to Lebanon at her catering operation.
Before starting Sawa, she worked as a dietician at several medical facilities, and on the side began fostering close connections with Denver Arabs, educating them on how to get employment and social services.
“I’m their ‘little helper,’ that’s what they call me,” she said of her community.
Ahmed’s background is in oil and gas, having graduated from the University of Michigan with a mechanical engineering degree. The couple moved to Colorado in 2011, and for a time, Hamid ran a small stand in a food hall along East Colfax.
But now, the only thing on their mind is starting the new business. Ahmed thinks it will have its second location sooner than you think.
“Broomfield! I already know. Six months,” he said.
Sawa’s offerings include hamburger-sized buns stuffed with veggies or meat. (Courtesy Sawa)
A Denver couple is looking to bring the city together with their food. It’s literally in the name.
Sara Hamid and her husband, Nasr Ahmed, plan on opening Sawa at 1737 E. Evans Ave. by DU this March. The name translates to “together” in Arabic and is an homage to the wide variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures that their food comes from.
“You’re going to eat the best hummus of your life (here), I guarantee it,” Ahmed said.
Sara Hamid and Nasr Ahmed
The eatery, which the couple claims is the first Mediterranean/Middle Eastern buffet in the state, will serve classic dishes from the cuisine, like shawarma and falafel. It’ll take around $150,000 to build out the space, Ahmed said. Sawa has operated as a catering-only business since 2019.
Previously, the space was home to local convenience store Choice Market, which was open for only about six months, online reviews indicate. Before then, it was a Japanese takeout spot. Because of the building’s past, the couple won’t have to buy a new hood and grease trap.
Sawa signed a lease for the spot late last year. Solomon Stark, Adam Hubschman and Paul Cattin at NAI Shames Makovsky brokered the deal.
“The layout of the restaurant works great for us, being a buffet-style restaurant. It’s not too big or not too small. It’s right there in the middle,” Hamid said.
Hours and menus are still being decided, but the current plan is to be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends. Breakfast foods include shakshuka, labneh and halloumi cheese. Discounts will be given to DU students.
Half of their current business comes from the university community, she said. Adding the diversity of the college environment will make it easier for them to attract clientele.
As for food, there will also be unique offerings, like Hamid’s “fun buns,” which she describes as tasting like “a piece of cloud.” It’s a recipe she made completely from scratch – fresh, hamburger-sized buns stuffed with the customer’s choice of veggies or meat.
“Everything that we serve is unique. It’s our own herbs, it’s our own recipes,” Hamid said.
Hamid’s culinary skills are no mere accident. She holds two degrees in food science and nutrition, the second of which was from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2013. Despite cooking homestyle dishes, she places a heavy emphasis on making her food as healthy and accessible as possible.
“It’s about me and my background,” Hamid said. “If it’s hummus, it will be hummus with olive oil. There is no gluten, 100 percent gluten-free.”
That background begins in Sudan, where Hamid, now 39, first met Ahmed. She had been in school and Ahmed, now 44, was visiting a friend of hers in the early 2000s when the two became acquainted. Both had grown up near each other, Ahmed was from Omdurman and Hamid from Bahri.
“Which is basically like an Aurora and Denver kinda thing,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed moved to the U.S. in 2000 and Hamid in 2009. They married in 2008.
“It’s comforting to be able to eat authentic food,” Ahmed said. “When I first moved to the U.S., I lived in Michigan and it has the highest population of Arabs in the U.S., specifically in Dearborn. It was super easy for me to eat Middle Eastern food … there’s a few restaurants here that say “Mediterranean food” but it’s not good. It’s not up to our standards. And I say that because Sara is a very good cook, and I just got super used to her cooking.
“For me, it’s generational. I used to help my mom cook a lot. So when I do something really perfect the way she did it, I’m proud of myself. It’s a chef’s mindset. I’m giving you 30 years of experience of my mom’s cooking.”
Since arriving in the states, Hamid has been active in the broader Arab community. She employs about 18 Arab women from countries ranging from Libya to Lebanon at her catering operation.
Before starting Sawa, she worked as a dietician at several medical facilities, and on the side began fostering close connections with Denver Arabs, educating them on how to get employment and social services.
“I’m their ‘little helper,’ that’s what they call me,” she said of her community.
Ahmed’s background is in oil and gas, having graduated from the University of Michigan with a mechanical engineering degree. The couple moved to Colorado in 2011, and for a time, Hamid ran a small stand in a food hall along East Colfax.
But now, the only thing on their mind is starting the new business. Ahmed thinks it will have its second location sooner than you think.
“Broomfield! I already know. Six months,” he said.
