Author: Kemill Logarta, BSU student
Yasmine Zakhary’s passion for hospitality was in her even as a child, when she’d invite everyone to her family table to enjoy her mother’s cooking. As a student in college for criminal justice, she worked as a waitress and it was only a matter of time until she decided to change her career path. She loved the restaurant industry and went on to build her experience with a resume that includes being an opening General Manager for celebrity-owned Turner’s Yard and a Director of Operations at The Farmer’s Daughter. She also gained culinary skills working at Scampo in Boston’s Liberty Hotel, where she worked alongside her mentor Lydia Shire, a nationally known Chef from Boston. Her experience led her to purchasing a turnkey operation and transforming it into her own. With a dream to feed everyone, she opened Yaz’s Table in March 2018.
With every goal comes its challenges and she had to turn a failing sub shop into a thriving restaurant with little money to start with. She worked with what was available, including using a bathroom as her office space. She overcame many challenges, but when asked what she would do differently, she said she wouldn’t change a thing. “I had nothing, but I came to where I was because of what I overcame,” she said with a smile on her face. She had her goals and never changed her values behind them.
Yasmine’s recipes are inspired by her Egyptian culture and created with help from her mother. Her farm-to-table and made-from-scratch goal makes the quality of every meal and beverage fresh and cooked to accommodate all diets. She takes pride in her hand-picked staff who shares her values of serving delicious food that not only tastes great but looks beautiful too. She understands in today’s world of “foodies” that it’s not just about taste but also presentation. You’ll want your next social media post to feature one of her dishes. The restaurant doesn’t use advertising and prefers social media platforms to keep their guests connected with the restaurant.
The menu offers specials daily and the cocktail list has a variety of unique recipes that include spiked teas and lattes. There are also plenty of non-alcoholic options, including coffee using Yasmine’s own patented blend of handpicked coffee beans. At the entrance of the restaurant, you can purchase desserts made by her mom, her secret recipe sauces, and handmade spa products she creates herself. Great quality goes beyond food and beverages at Yaz’s Table.
They understand that nobody is perfect but, as Yasmine puts it, “not at the expense of the guests.” To her and the staff, their guests are 100% important. And yes, I say “guests” because they refuse to label anyone a customer and prefer to treat everyone as if they’re a guest in their home. From the moment you arrive until the second you leave you can feel the passion behind their hospitality.
A few days before the pandemic shut down businesses last year Yaz’s Table would have celebrated their two-year anniversary. What should have been a celebration turned into a battle to keep her business alive, a struggle she shares with many other small business owners today. But Yasmine continues to turn any negativity into a positive learning experience. They added take-out on weekends to accommodate to those who prefer not to dine-in and are constantly maintaining COVID guidelines for those who do. Soon, outdoor seating will also be available again.
They understand that nobody is perfect but, as Yasmine puts it, “not at the expense of the guests.” To her and the staff, their guests are 100% important. And yes, I say “guests” because they refuse to label anyone a customer and prefer to treat everyone as if they’re a guest in their home. From the moment you arrive until the second you leave you can feel the passion behind their hospitality.
A few days before the pandemic shut down businesses last year Yaz’s Table would have celebrated their two-year anniversary. What should have been a celebration turned into a battle to keep her business alive, a struggle she shares with many other small business owners today. But Yasmine continues to turn any negativity into a positive learning experience. They added take-out on weekends to accommodate to those who prefer not to dine-in and are constantly maintaining COVID guidelines for those who do. Soon, outdoor seating will also be available again.
Looking forward, Yasmine hopes to resume her plans that were cancelled due to the recently lifted curfew. She wants to be open on evenings a few days a week and offer a tapas menu. Driven by her passion for expanding culinary science, she is also working on a collaboration with 10th District Brewing for “breakfast beers with a chef in mind.” They recently launched a breakfast stout and are currently working on a new release which will be a Berliner Weisser Egyptian Hibiscus with a recipe based on a drink from the restaurant’s cocktail menu. No matter what you’re looking for, at Yaz’s Table the goal is that everyone leaves happy.
Yaz’s Table is located at:
1209 Bedford Street in Abington, MA.
Contact them via:
Phone: 781-421-6118
Email: info@yazstable.com
Website: https://www.yazstable.com
Facebook: @YazsTable
Instagram: yazstable
Open Tuesday – Sunday : 8AM – 3PM (CLOSED Monday)
