We recently connected with Safa Batniji and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Safa, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

There was a point when I first moved to Baltimore that I realized I really really love to cook. I had been thinking about what I was leaving behind in Florida, where I grew up, and what I was gonna do next. All the women in my family are amazing chefs and have taught me so much about food, flavor and the way food brings together people. I knew I wanted to start doing pop-ups and cooking for people but I didn’t know where to start. I had been speaking with a friend Luz about this passion I have and what I wanted to really do and one day they reached out to me with an offer. They were putting together an event and needed someone to provide the food and I said hell yeah I’ll do it! It was short notice, I only had seven days to get everything I needed together. I had to start an Instagram, come up with a menu and post it. I had to buy all the food; spend a few days prepping and finding all the literal materials I needed like plates, cups, a portable little fryer….like every. single. thing. It was difficult but with the help of my best friend Jalynn and others in my community, I was able to make it happen successfully. And I had so much fun in the meantime. From then on it was just who needs food? I started doing more pop ups, sit down dinners, events, etc. and since then I’ve never looked back!

Safa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Safa and I’m a 24 y/o chef living in the city of Baltimore. I’ve been here since 2017 and I’ve loved every minute of it. I originally came to Baltimore to attend university. But in 2020 as the pandemic hit and school shifted to online, I realized I didn’t really have much interest in attending anymore. I wanted to focus my time on my business. And because Baltimore is such a creative city, it’s the perfect place for me and my business to thrive.

I’ve been working in the food industry since I was 15, so restaurants aren’t new to me. I currently still work in food service outside of my personal business, both as a server and a line cook for a local restaurant. My main passion and focus though is my business, Marwas. With Marwas I do almost everything under the sun. Pick up plates, dry goods, baked goods, pop-ups, kitchen take overs, sit down dinners, catered events, weddings and probably a bunch of other stuff I can’t remember.

I am most proud of putting myself out there and focusing my time on Marwas. It’s incredibly difficult when I still have jobs that are required to sustain my personal life and sometimes, my business.

I want my clients to know that they can come to me for quality food and products always. Almost all of the recipes behind Marwas are recipes that have been passed down generations.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I try to create products that will always be the same. Following my recipes means people know what to expect when they come back for more. Consistency is key. I work all of my events myself, which means I get to meet a lot of my customers/supporters and put a face to the brand. It helps to know that the owner of a business you like is a person with good intentions, ethics, etc. It also means I am always able to answer any questions about the business and offer help with any issues that arise. Even on social media I try to always answer in a reasonable amount of time to people who have questions about events or products.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I am opening a tab on my website in the next few weeks that will allow people to buy dry good products which I’m really excited about. People often ask where I will be next so they can come and buy products and I figure why not just make it available all the time? It turns the business from being something that is around once in a while to always being around and available to the consumer. And bringing in this extra revenue means I can pull back on my day jobs and focus more on my business!

Contact Info:

• Website: Marwas.Squarespace.com
• Instagram: @marwasbaltimore