By August Barham 

Sept. 27, 2021

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In November 2020 the public united to save a restaurant famous for serving people experiencing homelessness. One year later, the business is again close to closing and owner Kazi Mannan is calling on the government to help. 

 

Kazi Mannan, 51, immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1996, with a dream to open his own restaurant. In 2013 Mannan realized that dream and opened Sakina Halal Grill. Carrying on the spirit of charity instilled in him by his mother, whom the restaurant is named after, Mannan established a mission to serve everyone who comes through the door— regardless of their ability to pay.

 

“I love this restaurant; this restaurant is my life because the mission we started back in 2013 to serve the homeless in our restaurant is a mission close to my heart,” Mannan said.

 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Sakina Halal Grill went quiet and Mannan prepared to board up his hard-earned business. Salvation came in the form of community support. Inspired by Mannan’s reputation for generosity, people donated en masse to a GoFundMe to save the restaurant and raised over $300,000. One year later, as COVID-19 remains prevalent, Mannan finds himself in the same situation, preparing to close his restaurant for good. 

 

“I’m losing about $18,000 a month just to keep it open, that’s a loss I take every month,” Mannan said.

 

Mannan is not asking for the public’s help but is calling on the government to support businesses experiencing losses.

 

“I’m asking the government to help the restaurants that are struggling, especially in the area where business used to be good,” said Manna, referring to K Street, where Sakina Halal Grill is located. Restaurants on K Street used to depend on customers from surrounding hotels and businesses, the halt on travel and in-person work has left these restaurants virtually vacant. 

 

Manna has received one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan totaling about $26,000—enough to cover one month of expenses. The PPP government loan provided small businesses with monetary incentives to retain their staff, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA) website. The program concluded on May 31, 2021.

 

Mannan says he also applied to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) on May 23, 2021. 

 

RRF, established as part of The American Rescue Plan Act, provided “funding for restaurants equal to their pandemic-related revenue losses,” the SBA website said. The fund was intended to support business owners who may have been unable to access previous assistance. It attempted to do so by allowing applicants to use their Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), as opposed to requiring an Employer Identification Number (EIN), said Jack Spirakes, small economic development specialist in the SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office.

 

“One could extrapolate that this would have benefited many tax-paying businesses that tend to be immigrant-owned, such as street vendors,” Spirakes said over an email. 

 

Mannan says he has not received a response to his application. 

 

“Every time I open the application it’s ‘in review,’” Mannan said with a laugh. 

 

In a July 2, 2021 press release the SBA announced that the RRF funds had been exhausted and the program would be concluded immediately. 

 

Mannan is asking Congress to approve more funding for the restaurant industry. He says the government should help businesses so that they can, in turn, continue to contribute to the economy. 

 

As long as Sakina is open it will continue to serve all, but Mannan fears it does not have long. 

 

“I still don’t tell homeless person who come in, ‘No, we’re broke, I can’t afford to give you food,’” Mannan said. “We’ll still serve the same way we used to.”

 

Mannan is holding onto hope that the government will come to his aid so he can keep his business and continue to serve the community.  

 

“I am keeping hope that if we get this Restaurant Revitalization Fund that will help us to maybe survive, if not then I think this will be the end of Sakina Halal Grill,” Mannan said.

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