New beginnings

Elie and Huss Hodroj, owners of Mr Toum Lebanese Street Food restaurant. (Damjan Janevski). 217080_05

Tara Murray

If opening a restaurant wasn’t already hard enough, Huss and Elie Hodroj have done it in the middle of a pandemic

The two cousins are behind Mr Toum Lebanese Street Food restaurant which opened earlier this month at Craigieburn Central.

The restaurant was set to open in August as they looked to bring their love of Lebanese street food and culture to the Craigieburn community.

While they haven’t been able to open their restaurant to have customers dining in, Huss said they’ve turned to takeaway and home deliveries.

“We had these great plans to launch the restaurant when suddenly the borders were closed, deliveries delayed, suppliers shut down their businesses and we weren’t able to offer customers a dine-in experience,” he said.

“We never gave up and the whole team was there to support each other when we finally opened our doors. We’ve had such a positive response from the community.

“We’ve realised takeaway and delivery are going to be a big part of our business but we’re looking forward to inviting diners to experience the warm atmosphere and delicious food Mr Toum Lebanese Street Food has to offer.”

The menu features traditional shawarmas filled with homemade fresh off the flame-grill marinated meat and fresh salad, along with hot cheetos crispy chicken subwraps and fries.

Craigieburn Central Centre manager Janet Reading said they were pleased to see a small family-owned business open.