Hossein Jamali: Filling the Stomach as He Feeds the Soul

Welcome to our regular weekly feature, Wonderful Wednesday. Every Wednesday, Naperville Patch will introduce you to someone doing great things in the community. Do you know someone who deserves the spotlight? Contact Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com. 

This week, we recognize a restaurant owner who believes in giving back to his community, helping to feed the soul as well as fill the stomach. This week, Ray Kinney nominated Hossein Jamali, owner of , as Naperville Patch’s Wonderful Wednesday recipient.

In his own words, Kinney said of Jamali: “I would like to give a warm community hug to the owner of Mesón Sabika, Hossein Jamali, and his family for all of the things they do yearround to help those in need both locally and around the world. Again this year, they are opening their doors at Mesón Sabika and providing a warm Thanksgiving meal to those in our community that have no other place to go. … This wonderful man and his family provide these meals at no charge so that people can have a nice Thanksgiving meal and for that, I say we all should be thankful.”

On Thanksgiving, Hossein Jamali will enjoy his turkey at the end of the day, after he has fed more than 1,900 people in Naperville and another 600 in Chicago. Jamali, the owner of Mesón Sabika in Naperville and Tapas Valencia in Chicago will be providing those meals to diners free of charge this Thanksgiving.

For the last 10 years, Jamali has opened his restaurant to people in the community who are in need.

“When we first started 10 years ago, it was like nobody believed in it—a free lunch,” he said. “The first year, we only had 300 guests. In the last three years, with the economy the way it is, we fill up to the max.” 

The max the restaurant, known for its Tapas, can serve is roughly 1,900 people. This year, those who attend will dine on a traditional turkey dinner, salad, pie and a beverage. Reservations for Thanksgiving were filled up about two weeks ago.

Jamali views what he does like a duty, similar to paying taxes—in a positive way. To have paved roads and a good infrastructure, one pays taxes, and giving back to the community is a duty that brings Jamali joy.

He was born in Iran and moved to the United States in 1972 to study engineering, and he learned the restaurant business working his way through college. When Jamali graduated, he worked for six months as an engineer but he was bored, he said, so he decided to pursue the restaurant business.

Jamali’s partners early on were Spanish chefs who had experience doing Tapas, and it made sense to open a restaurant doing something in which they had prior experience. He has owned the restaurant on his own since 2000 and since that time he has offered the Thanksgiving meal.

Mesón Sabika often holds fundraisers for various groups. Last year, fundraisers were held for the victims of the Tsunami in Japan, Pakistan relief, supporting local Boy Scouts and other local nonprofits like KidsMatter.

“A lot of it has to do probably with my growing up as a child, growing up in borderline poverty and the values that were instilled in me by my father,” Jamali said. “Even though he didn’t have much, he helped others.”

Jamali is passing down those values to his own children. He and wife Mona have two boys, Naveed, 16, and Omeed, 9. The boys will be at the restaurant on Thanksgiving, he said.

“They look forward to the day and work as volunteers,” Jamali said.

Other people from the community will also volunteer on Thanksgiving, he said. Everyone who volunteers or serves is asked to not mention that the meal is being given free of charge or that Jamali is providing it. He wants diners to have a normal dining experience. Everyone gets to order just like normal. He wants families to feel comfortable and for children to enjoy the experience. 

The restaurant’s employees don’t seem to mind working on the holiday either, Jamali said. Once the diners have been served, Jamali and roughly 100 other people will enjoy their Thanksgiving after having served others. 

“To the best of my knowledge [the employees] are extremely supportive and they are happy to work that day,” he said. “A lot of the guests that come are families. When you see the expression on the kids’ faces when they probably have never been to a restaurant or a nice place to dine, they are so excited. There is nothing that you could do that day that would bring as much happiness or joy.”