Restaurant Owner Violence Is Hurting Downtown Windsor Businesses

A downtown Windsor business owner is concerned with the escalating violence in core.

Imad Najjar is co-owner of Mazaar Lebanese Cuisine on Ouellette Avenue near Park Street.

He feels the violence is keeping customers away and it's impacting his business.

As heard on AM800 News earlier this week, Windsor police are investigating two downtown stabbings that occurred last weekend along with a fight where suspects were armed with a shovel and a knife.

Najjar says when incidents occur in the core staff is usually called off.

"We've got to almost a level where the day when we hear something like that maybe we'll call some staff off today because there's no point," says Najjar.  "Any day that we have an incident like the ones that have been happening downtown, it's affecting us as employees, as owners, as a community downtown."

He says it appears customers are avoiding the downtown core as well.

"It's not inviting to new businesses or new residents and it's not inviting to customers and I bet you it wouldn't be inviting to tourists," says Najjar.

Najjar feels downtown Windsor is heading in the wrong direction.

"Look where Detroit is going and downtown Detroit is going and what happened to downtown Windsor, just like very ironic" says Najjar.  "How did we manage in the last two-three decades to become a deserted downtown and how they became a vibrant, happy downtown in Detroit."      

The restaurant has been operating in downtown Windsor for 11 years.