As part of the Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges project, we invited Zeineb Khalfallah (@zeineb_conscience on Instagram) to join us in our visit of 11 businesses of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges who have participated in the project.

Meet Khalid | Portraits of merchants and professionals of Côte-des-Neiges

Learn more about your merchants and professionals of the Côte-des-Neiges district! // Let’s meet with : Khalid Sefrioui, Owner of Délices du Maghreb

The mission of Khalid Sefrioui, owner of the grocery store Délices du Maghreb, is to make the taste buds of Maghreb immigrants travel.

When we arrived, the shopkeeper welcomed us with Moroccan pastries.

In his Ali Baba’s cave, we can find products exported mainly from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. And for the past few months, the entrepreneur has diversified his offer to the delight of his customers.

Indeed, every day, at lunch time, typical Moroccan dishes are served. Thus, the regulars of the place can satisfy their cravings by enjoying traditional recipes reminding them of their homeland.

Khalid chose Canada as his place of residence to spend his retirement. However, the 64-year-old quickly became convinced that retirement doesn’t necessarily mean rest!

He created a delicatessen offering North African products in 2011 to stay active after his retirement. “I wanted to create a place where North Africans can feel like they are home”, the store owner recounted. “I chose to settle in Côte-des-Neiges for its cultural and ethnic diversity. I knew that I would bring added value to the immigrants living in this district”, he continued.

For Khalid, who knew how to identify his target clientele, his grocery store doesn’t only sell imported products, but  “nostalgia”too.

Nostalgia is the word that defines the store of this entrepreneur. It offers costumers products that evoke memories of their home countries.

“I love to see foreign students call their parents to show them the store on video. They are always happy to find products that remind them of their culture”, shared Khalid.

For Khalid who has been running his business in Côte-des-Neiges for over 10 years, this place is the perfect representation of diversity and tolerance. This is what led him to launch his project in the neighbourhood.

For me Côte-des-Neiges is : multicultural

Writer-journalist: Zeineb Khalfallah

Photographer: Gaelle Leroyer

Artistic direction : Félicia Balzano (SDC Côte-des-Neiges

Complete the experience by visiting the free exhibition on Promenade Jean-Brillant from September 8th to December 5th, 2022. Info: here

ABOUT THE PROJECT: 

Given the great success of its project «Portraits of Merchants and Professionals of Côte-des-Neiges» in 2021, the SDC Côte-des-Neiges is proud to present the second edition of the initiative through an exhibition as well as interviews. This project is aimed at putting residents in touch with businesses on the territory of the Société de développement commercial (SDC) Côte-des-Neiges. Through a series of portraits capturing the essence of 11 businesses, meet 17 owners and managers of local businesses. This social and cultural project is intended to be a real encounter with the human behind the professional. In this second edition, you will discover women and men, young professionals and experienced entrepreneurs, all from different cultures and backgrounds, providing a wide range of products and services. What do they all have in common? Their love for Côte-des-Neiges. Discover the exhibition on the Promenade Jean-Brillant and extend the experience online thanks to the heartfelt interviews carried out with each one of them.

Under the artistic direction of Félicia Balzano, general manager of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges, this project is an initiative of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges and made possible with the collaboration of the Maison de la culture CDN and the borough CDN- NDG.