Red Olive restaurant to open Tuesday in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A new restaurant serving Middle Eastern and South Asian food, called Red Olive, is opening its doors to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.

Red Olive is located at 324 Burnet Ave., at the intersection with Catherine Street, in the city’s Hawley-Green district, according to its director of operations, Usman Qadeer. The building is the former site of Sparky Town, a restaurant that closed at the end of 2014.

Red Olive encompasses about 1,000 square feet and has seating for 60, says Qadeer. It employs between seven and nine workers, all of whom are part-time, except for the two chefs.

Red Olive will be open seven days a week, first from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and again from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Qadeer says.

The restaurant is a casual dining facility, according to a news release issued by the Northeast Hawley Development Association, Inc., but will also deliver food within a 5-mile radius of its location and provide catering services.

The restaurant intends to source produce and materials from local vendors in order to support local businesses and the Think Local First campaign being promoted by the nonprofit SyracuseFirst. The nonprofit encourages residents to purchase from local businesses.

Red Olive is owned by Chicago resident Mohammed Aleen, who has past experience as a restaurant-owner in that city, according to Qadeer. Aleen decided to open Red Olive in Syracuse, in part, because he has family in the area who could help run it. Qadeer is Aleen’s son-in-law.

Qadeer says they picked the Hawley-Green location because it’s a hub of a neighborhood that is being revitalized, and they want to participate in that.

The restaurant also seeks to provide certified halal options — foods allowed by Islamic dietary laws — for Muslims, and also act as a bridge between the city and the Muslim culture, according to the news release.

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CAPTION: The Red Olive restaurant, which serves Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine, is opening to the public Tuesday at 11 a.m. during a grand opening ceremony. The new eatery is located at 324 Burnet Ave. in Syracuse. (Photo by Nick Kapteyn)