We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yahya Sardari a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yahya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

Kookoo was a dream in the making for many, many years. Kookoo represents my Persian heritage by sharing my food and culture with customers. I have a goal to make Persian food known throughout the US and beyond. For me there were many matriarchs in my family that taught me how to cook and prepare Persian meals and this restaurant honors our traditions. I cannot wait to share these special meals and moments with my community in Washington, DC.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always been interested in the food business. At a very young age, I started working at a luxury hotel in Boston, MA as an apprentice cook in the kitchen. I showed so much enthusiasm and energy that I started climbing the ladder and worked at other kitchens around town. I’m opening a Persian restaurant called KooKoo in Columbia Heights (Washington, DC). We are the only Persian restaurant in the neighborhood and we offer an authentic experience to our guests. After about 30 years in the food industry, I will finally open my dream restaurant. That makes me very proud!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Customer service is always number one in my book. In my restaurant, we use the freshest ingredients possible and take utmost care in making our dishes. I believe these are the main factors that contributed to our success.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My 7- year success of Coffy Cafe, a local coffee shop in NW Washington, DC, was attributed to my staff. They believed in the cafe and great service was important to them and, everyday, that’s what we provided. I knew many customers by name and that also made their visits special. We received media exposure on local news and partnered with community organizations for charitable programs that allowed us to give back. For example, Coats for Coffee was a collaboration we initiated with Thrive DC which gave away one cup of coffee for a clothing donation during the holidays to local unhoused DC residents. This brought a lot of the community together at our cafe. With the opening of Kookoo, we hope to continue our growth through continuous service to our community and memorable experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kookoodc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kookoodc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/KooKooDC/

Image Credits
Pictured here: Yahya Sardari