Bashir Alsheikh, a restaurant owner in Malmö, offers free meals to ethnic Swedes to encourage cultural integration. Despite limited uptake, he remains committed to fostering community ties and offers his venues for integration activities.
Malmö Restaurateur Invites Swedes to Experience Syrian Cuisine
Malmö Restaurateur Invites Swedes to Experience Syrian Cuisine
Restaurant owner Bashir Alsheikh struggles to attract ethnic Swedes to his establishment in Rosengård, Malmö. To encourage visits, he offers free meals to the Swedish friends of his customers.
Bashir Alsheikh, 56, owns several restaurants in Malmö. At his Rosengård locations, he rarely encounters ethnically Swedish patrons.
"What I learned in SFI, I've forgotten because there are only immigrants here," says Bashir Alsheikh, who moved to Sweden from Syria in 2014.
He targeted his largest customer base: Arabic speakers. On TikTok, he encouraged diners to bring their Swedish friends to his restaurant, a move first highlighted by the newspaper Alkompis.
Stuffed Sheep Intestines on the Menu
Swedish guests unfamiliar with Rosengård received a free meal at X restaurant, which serves Arabic cuisine with a focus on traditional Syrian dishes. The menu includes stuffed sheep intestines, lamb head, lamb brain, and lamb testicles, as well as more familiar Arabic dishes like hummus, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves.
"You pay for yourself, and we cover your friend's meal."
The offer was valid during August.
"Not many took up the offer, but among those who did, most insisted on paying anyway."
Although the offer has ended, Bashir Alsheikh aims to promote integration in other ways. He offers his venues free of charge to associations with integration initiatives ahead of the 2026 election.
"Sweden is our country, so we must help build it. We can't just sit in Rosengård."