JEDDAH — A Saudi baker became the owner of the biggest women café in the Kingdom after starting her career as a school project. Sara Mahjoub said she used to sell cakes and cookies in school and in summer festivals when she was still a teenager. "I have a Bachelor's in Business Studies and Marketing. What I learned helped me get a head start in starting my own business. I also worked for two years in my field. But I always had the dream to open my own café and sell my own food," said Mahjoub. She added, after hearing about a workshop on how to start your own business she jumped at the opportunity to attend it, and registered in it quickly. "The workshop evaluated business ideas to give them funding. To my luck, the workshop was specifically looking for business ideas for women. That's why I made my café a women's café. My business idea was accepted and I received the funding," said Mahjoub. She added she was a pioneering woman as there was nothing in the market catered to women when she started her business in this field. "I faced a lot of obstacles which made me seriously think about quitting the idea all together. However, the support of my family and friends kept me pushing through the obstacles and overcoming them. So many people approached me to work with me but I refused. But I was blessed to meet Lamees Al-Mazrou in the process," said Mahjoub. She also said Al-Mazrou was a specialist in menu design and she helped her put together the menu for her café. "Working with Lamees gave me a boost to make my café a reality. We had different dreams but we were able to achieve our dreams through my café. Lamees is the expert on food and I handle all things business," said Mahjoub. Al-Mazrou said her recipes are like her babies. "I love cooking and creating recipes. I always had the dream to open a café where I can serve my unique recipes. Working with Sarah made me realize my dream. Our partnership is based on mutual respect of each other's opinions. We never impose our opinions on the other, we simply suggest and respect the reaction we get from one another," added Al-Mazrou. She said she is always looking for the healthiest ingredients. "I use sea water salt instead of artificial salt and butter instead of vegetarian oil. Healthy ingredients are my priority even if it means the dish will cost a bit more or have more calories," said Al-Mazrou. She also said that she and Sarah agreed that they want the café to be like a second home to every customer that walks in. "We paid close attention to the décor and design of the place as well and we agreed that we do not want to offer Shisha so we don't disturb some customers," said Al-Mazrou.
