Shish, the Mediterranean restaurant on Grand Avenue in St. Paul is the second home for senior Ella Judeh, who worked there over the summer. This family-owned restaurant has been at the same location for over 20 years.
After just getting married, Judeh’s dad had a dream after passing by the vacant plot that Shish is now on. In the dream, he saw himself and his family opening the restaurant. Immediately after this revelation, he canceled his honeymoon to Hawaii and leased the property.
Judeh started to help out at the restaurant occasionally. When she first started, her job was more involved: “I used to know how to make all the wraps that my parents had on the menu,” Judeh said. Now she doesn’t work in the kitchen much and instead acts as a server.
Her family restaurant was known to many people. Her previous gym teacher used to call her Shish and her little sister Mini Shish, after their restaurant. The spontaneous nickname made her feel proud: “Growing older, it opened my eyes to how much of an impact my parents had on the community and how people recognize me for carrying on their legacy, in a way,” Judeh said.
Having to manage an academic schedule, a social life and a consistent work life hasn’t been too difficult for Judeh. Even though she helps out almost every day, she hadn’t worked full-time or been overly dedicated until the past summer.
Over the summer, Judeh helped mainly with opening and closing shifts. She would help lay out silverware, bus guests and occasionally, when Shish would be reserved for events, she would be there with her parents. Her longest and most recent shift was at Macalester College for an event from 6 to 11 p.m.
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Even though she has an excess of experience, she does not wish to pursue the direction of owning a restaurant or being a cook. “I don’t see myself being a business owner, [my parents] have said they don’t want me to run a restaurant when I’m older … I don’t think I would work in other restaurants either. I feel like that’d be a betrayal to my parents,” Judeh said.
Working at a family restaurant has given Judeh the confidence to work in a tough environment. The long working hours have taught her resilience and she learned a lot from these experiences. But most importantly her time at Shish has shaped her identity, giving her pride in her family’s legacy.
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