Kabob House Owner Bringing Mediterranean Flavor to Sharon Beach

Said "Felix" Safai, owner of the Kabob House in Stoughton center will have a restaurant open this summer after all—in Sharon. 

Sharon's Memorial Beach will have a Mediterranean flavor this summer. Safai, the new concession stand operator at the beach, will offer chicken kabobs, dolma and other Mediterranean cuisine–some, his own recipes—in addition to standard fare such as cheeseburgers and chicken wings.

Safai owned and operated the in downtown Stoughton for several months, starting last spring. Heavy snow this past winter , the former Cheng-Du restaurant, .

Originally told his restaurant would be closed for 30 days while repairs were made, the Kabob House is still closed months later.

Safai said a friend had told him that Sharon recreation officials were seeking a new tenant for the concession stand at the beach, near the intersection of Beach and Pond streets.

Tuesday night, Sharon selectmen approved his one-year lease.

"I have some customers from Stoughton, and my friends, they cannot wait. They want to come here for lunch," Safai said Wednesday while cleaning the stand to prepare it for opening, possibly this weekend.

"Sharon is a multi-cultural town. I hope if I offer this, they'll come here."

Safai said Wednesday he has nearly 30 years of experience in the restaurant business. In his native Austria, he offered Viennese specialties, Mediterranean cuisine and daily chef specials.

"As I came from college, I went into restaurants. I began working with my older brother. I was 21 years old," Safai said.

Safai said he and his family came to the U.S. about a decade ago at his father-in-law's suggestion. The Canton resident said his family lives in the Canton-Sharon area.

The Kabob House opened in Stoughton last spring.

"People loved that food. It was very healthy and good Mediterranean food," Safai said.

And then the snow came.

"You can imagine: you open a restaurant. It's a lot of hard work," Safai said. "It was difficult in the beginning to bring in guests. People knew me and suddenly, I had to close."