When Comal Heritage Food Incubator closed this past February, not only did the Denver culinary community lose a great restaurant, but an important institution as well. The eatery’s mission was to build up and support immigrant women who wanted to work in or own a restaurant.
Luckily, Comal isn’t the only place building up underserved communities. Where one great spot falls, more pop up. Now the Denver metro area has a handful of service-forward restaurants where immigrants can eat food remnant of their homeland, and thrive in the service industry. In this three-part series we dive into the groups making waves. We first went to Mango House in Aurora, and now we look at Sawa Mediterranean Restaurant & Buffet in Denver.
Sawa Mediterranean Restaurant & Buffet
Just as the term “Mediterranean food” encompasses a broad range of cuisines, so does the buffet table at Sawa Mediterranean Restaurant & Buffet. Owner Sara Hamid is from Sudan, so naturally there’s a solid North African representation among the dozen or so options available on any given day.
But more than a dozen immigrant women who contribute to the menu hail from such locations as Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Libya, Ethiopia, and other countries, all of whom play a role in the many options available at this University of Denver spot.
After all, “sawa” is the Arabic word for “together,” and for $25 the all-you-can-eat buffet allows you to try a bit of everything to experiment and learn about each. Plus, Hamid has made the cuisine diet-friendly with plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Recently, the restaurant began featuring a single cuisine on Sundays, with the plan to change the regional focus every two weeks.
Starting Sawa in Denver
While many immigrants turn to food businesses out of a lack of other options, Hamid did so by choice. She came to the U.S. from Sudan in 2009 with a bachelors degree in food science and experience working at the Coca Cola company. She picked up a second degree in human nutrition and dietetics from MSU Denver. While working as a diabetes educator, she felt the urge to do more hands-on cooking.
“I’m just a normal, educated person who wants to help my community, and I want you to eat my food the way that my mom does,” she says. “I just want you to come and eat our food and feel happy and listen to our culture. To know exactly how we used to be happy in our country and how we cook.”
The group of some 18 women came together initially in 2019, meeting through various community organizations and sharing their love of cooking. They formed a ghost kitchen and catering business after receiving funding from a non-profit focused on feeding underserved communities, and then rolled up into the Sawa brick-and-mortar location in May of 2024.
Moving On With Skills
Some have splintered off to run their own businesses, such as Beauty Queen, Lolita Bakery, Sweet & Salt, and Mazag Coffee. Sawa will also have a stall at the Pearl Street Farmers Market this summer.
“I don’t want them to rely on benefits, or think that in the United States you live like you did in the camps,” she said. “When they come here, the thing nonprofits do is they teach them to rely on the government. They give you a house and help you find a job. But you can do your own business. You can go to college. You can study. You can be a businessman. You’re not just a tiny thing that nobody knows. You don’t have to rely on benefits. If you do, you’re not going anywhere other than that box.”
Visit Sawa Mediterranean Restaurant & Buffet Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1737 E. Evans Ave., Denver, sawaorder.com
