The past few months have been hard for many small businesses, but Amir and Leila Sohanaki have not shied away from opening their new butcher shop at 17080 Bathurst St. in Newmarket.
The idea for Sam Boutique Butchery has been in the back of their minds for quite some time, while Amir was working in construction after the couple immigrated to Newmarket from Iran.
After a few years of construction work, Amir said he was ready to do something else and start his own business.
"I just got tired of working outside in the cold weather," said Amir.
In Iran, Amir's family has been running a butchery business originally founded by his grandfather for decades. So it was a business in which he had plenty of experience. The "Sam" in the business' name is the couple's son.
"My grandfather was in this business for years, so was my uncle, and I worked with them for years when I was younger," said Amir.
The couple's plans for the new business were delayed by the coming of the COVID-19 for a while, but eventually, they decided they were going to open the new store regardless.
"After a couple of months of waiting, we figured it would be best to do something because we can't just wait for the pandemic to finish; it's going to be around for a long time," said Amir.
"We can't just stay at home and depend on the government."
They finally opened their butcher shop just in time for York Region to be placed in lockdown. After a promising first week, the lockdown has significantly reduced the number of people coming in every day, but the couple doesn't regret their decision to open a business.
The Sohanakis believe they have good products and a location where they can serve area residents with no other meat stores nearby.
"I'm very excited about having opened and the first week was very good, but with the lockdown things have been slowed. But we have to survive; after the lockdown is over, things will be better," said Leila.
"This area needs a meat store, and most of the neighbours who have come here so far have been very happy and welcomed us. We are doing our best for them."
Sam Boutique Butcher is an old-school butcher shop where shoppers can make special orders from prime rib to beef bones for soups or dog treats. The shop also specializes in several kinds of products popular with the local Persian community. It has products you might be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, including Amir's in-house-made sausages to more exotic fare such as oxtail and even lamb brains.
The Sohanakis believe their store will find a customer base for anyone who wants better quality and variety than what can be found at large grocery stores.
