The First Food Truck in Ramallah is Run by Two Former Prisoners
Inside an Israeli prison, Khaldoun Barghouthi and Abdul Rahman al-Bibi sometimes cooked for hundreds of inmates. After their release from prison they opened the first food truck in Ramallah. Their next goal: a double decker restaurant
Khaldoun Barghouthi was in prison for eight years, Abdul Rahman al-Bibi was in prison for nine years. It is enough time to learn almost anything, but these two- both university graduates in different subjects – focused on their cooking skills. Each person has a role in prison, and Barghouthi and al-Bibi took cooking on themselves.
Sometimes they'd cook for about 1,200 prisoners. Despite the fact that spices and some ingredients are hard to find in prison, the fact that there were Palestinian prisoners from all over the territories- north to south – gave them a chance to learn recipes and culinary traditions that are new to them.
a restaurant between four walls was out of the question
The idea to open a food truck started simmering in their minds about seven months before their release, when they started thinking about the life that was waiting for them outside the prison walls. Barghouthi (44), and al-Bibi (36) say that it soon became clear to both of them that a restaurant between four walls was out of the question. After years of being in prison they wanted freedom of movement, and decided to open a mobile restaurant. They decided that their restaurant would be free from electricity lines and decided to use solar panels to produce energy. The way they see it, it's another form of resisting the idea of borders. The memory of deliberate electricity cuts in prison played a major part in their decision to use an endless source of energy.
The dream of the food truck became a reality in early 2016. Their idea was supported by the department for project management in the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners and the Palestinian Ministry for Transport. The two released prisoners received a loan of $40,000 from the Arab Islamic Bank and immediately got to work. Many of the people in their lives thought they were crazy and didn't believe in the idea, warning them of losing all their money; but the fearless duo have a liking for adventure.
The business is actually named "Food Train" and it roams around Ramallah from morning till night in a colorful truck with a lit up sign promising a diverse menu of local and Western fast food. Dig in to roast chicken, fried chicken, fajitas, schnitzel, burgers, sausages, labneh, lots of salads and soft drinks. Barghouthi and al-Bibi painted the truck themselves with bright colors and positive vibes. You won't find any brown, the color of the security prisoners' uniform.
"We changed some of the recipes, added some new ones and took some out. We have our regular customers who wait for us every day and we already know what they like and what sells most, and we prepare accordingly," says Barghouthi.
According to him, the decision to have solar panels on the truck has put them through a long period of trial and error with the company that did the work. "When we took a ride to test the safety of the Food Train, one of the children who saw the truck for the first time asked me if it can fly. I don't want anything to control us. The ‘Food Train’ is the first station to the rest of our lives".
The Food Train became an instant success from the day. Barghouthi says that today there are five people working in shifts with the first shift starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 13:00. The second shift is from 13:00 until 19:00 and during this shift they are close to the ministry offices and feed the workers and the passersby. From 19:00 until 1:00 the shift doesn't have a regular spot because of parking problems in Ramallah. "We're still looking for a suitable spot in the city center," he says. "We feel that we have many supporters and we also provide food for people on the road who need a quick and tasty meal without needing to go to a restaurant and wait for a long time. He adds "the Food Train doesn't go to sleep without being cleaned spotless and ready to start the next day."
As for the future, Barghouthi says that he and al-Bibi are dreaming to make another project come to life, which they call the "Food and City Tour". "Clients can order the food they want, and we'll prepare it while riding the streets of Ramallah and its surroundings, or on a specific route that hasn't been decided yet". He adds, "It's still an idea that has a lot of technical obstacles. The roads are not set up for tours. In addition, we're looking for a double decker bus, but we don't know if it's even possible to find one. We hope to make this dream come true within a year."
"We are really lucky to have been able to come up with this idea and see it come to life. Most released prisoners have to face a reality in which there's no order in their life nor work. The years in prison take away our freedom and after those years, it's to be or not to be," says Barghouthi.