Yousef al-Basha (Abubacer) is a merchant in charge of the most famous souk in Jordan, situated in Souq Al Hamma. The name of the town actually means’store of good health’. If you are visiting Souq Al Hamma this will be your first taste of this popular souk. What you can find here are fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, traditional Jordan cuisine and much more. This is the yousef official website.
Yousef started his business in Souq Al Hamma as a young man with his family. He worked hard for the business to become a successful entrepreneur and later on he decided to open a branch in Jafra, where he is still present to this day. He wanted to work with his hands and not deal with big business men so he opted for a small shop which was opened every day. He always maintained that this small shop was an extension of his own home and at the same time a place for his family and relatives to enjoy. This shop eventually turned out to be the biggest business success story for him.
Yousef usually starts his business hours early and before long his souq starts buzzing with activity as local businessmen come and go through the market. They usually spend hours talking and laughing with one another while browsing the wide array of goods for sale. Yousef always has a smile on his face while dealing with these business people. He sees this as a chance to spread the word about his shop and to make friends in the localities.
Souq Al Hamma is a typical Arab market. Yousef usually enters the market straight from his home. He then walks up to the souq’s entrance where a long line of cars waiting to go inside the market. People are usually very friendly and jovial; they smile and talk freely with one another. Yousef always welcomes them warmly and he is surrounded by them like a king and queen. People who come to Yousef’s restaurant are usually first timers that come to try out the delicious Arabic food and the prices are usually very reasonable.
Yousef always gets phone calls from his customers during the day. One of them is usually a new customer that came to the souq that morning. He introduces himself to yousef and since you guys hit it off right away, the two of you become good friends. Yousef tells him all the good things about his food and you start working as a team.
Yousef and his souq staff also do a lot of things together. Yousef can ask for help when there’s a problem in the kitchen and the chef usually does the cooking. The other employees of the market are usually cleaning and general maintenance staff. Yousef’s family also comes to eat mostly during the week because his family also eats at the market. Most of the time, the food Yousef serves his customers is his family’s cooking so you don’t really have to change much.
The business is pretty slow during the week because usually during the week, there’s nobody around because most families have jobs or school. On the weekends, however, you see a lot more traffic at the market. Yousef always depends on you and his brother to clean up after the restaurant, but he works fast. Yousef’s brother is usually older than him and more experienced with running a restaurant, but both of them work hard at the business. They usually get the job done.
In a few years, Yoursef has built up a lot of business and he runs the business alone. You see his brother more often since he’s more experienced with running a restaurant than you are, but they do help out each other with what they need to do. Yousef usually gets the credit for bringing in a lot of people to the market. The business is definitely growing, though, so expect to see more new establishments in the area.