By BEKAH DEMORDAUNT

Rotisserie style chicken is cooking over an apple wood fire pit while in the kitchen gyro meat is being cut and fried in a juice of secret family recipes. This is the food prep that takes place at Sadaf Greek Souvlaki, Provo’s newest Greek restaurant.

Navid Ahmadzadeh, from Turkey, came to the United States at age 18, worked as a cab driver for six years and then accomplished his goal of opening up a traditional Greek restaurant with his brother and friend.

Ahmadzadeh and his brother Omid are first generation American-Turkish/Greeks who came to America in search of opportunity, and for Ahmadzadeh, it was also to achieve his dream of opening his own Greek restaurant.

“This is something new and ... I think everybody is going to love the quality and the taste,” he said. “I’ve tried many restaurants around Provo and to us nothing is like this.”

The brothers opened Sadaf Greek Souvlaki, at 2448 N. University Parkway, in the same complex as Movies 8, just over a week ago and so far have been pleased with their success.

Since opening they have had more than 2,000 customers who have enjoyed the traditional menu items including BBQ chicken, ribs and warm hummus with pita bread.

“It was a fun experience and it was humbling to hear his story and see how friendly he was to my friends and I,” said Justin Sipherd, a student studying political science. “I have been back to his restaurant and the food keeps on getting better. He doesn’t remember my name yet, he said he will try his best to remember it but he does remember my face. It’s that kind of service and food that in my opinion makes a restaurant great, and this is a great restaurant that everyone should give a try.”

People in Provo have really seemed to enjoy the traditional food, Ahmadzadeh said. And for good reason, all the recipes are family secrets and very traditional.

“So far when everybody comes and eats here they say they have never had this kind of meat and so I will keep the recipe for myself,” he said.

Even the name, Sadaf Greek Souvlaki, relates to his family. Sadaf is Omid’s daughter’s name and Souvlaki is Greek for shish-kebab.

Though the restaurant has been a success so far, Ahmadzadeh admits it didn’t come easily.
“I still work hard. I wake up 6:30 a.m. and go to sleep at midnight, six days a week,” he said. “It feels good. I worked six years for it and finally I got it. I worked hard for it and without working hard you can’t get anything.”

It doesn’t stop with the restaurant business. His hope is to someday open a hotel in the area like his cousin did.

Ahmadzadeh’s entire family is here in Utah. It first started with his brother Omid moving here in 1996.

“My brother was here before me,” Navid said. “He didn’t have anybody here and he liked it. Then I came and then my whole family came. It was pretty much just our luck. Nothing is like here, I have been to a couple different places but I like it here.”

Sadaf Greek Souvlaki is open Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.