Mohib Rahmati owns Nansense Afghan Burgers and Bowls in Beacon.
Your family is from Afghanistan. How did they come to the U.S.?
My parents and two older brothers lived near Mazar-i-Sharif, a major city in northern Afghanistan, near Uzbekistan. My father taught Farsi in a local high school. My mom was always known as the best cook. When the Soviets invaded in 1979, they fled with two suitcases through Pakistan to India and then to Arizona. They eventually came to Woodside, Queens, where I was born. Working odd jobs, my father saved enough money to buy a taxi medallion. He still drives his cab. He enjoys it.
How did you start your business?
I was doing the 9-to-5 thing as a personal banker at a Citibank branch in Manhattan. One of my favorite parts of the day was going out for lunch at the food trucks around Chelsea. These guys always had smiles; they loved what they were doing. I always thought what was missing was Afghan food, and that my mom’s recipes would do well. In 2018 I took all my savings and purchased a used mail truck from Pennsylvania and got it retrofitted with kitchen equipment. I opened in front of the Blick Art Supply Store at 20th Street and Sixth Avenue, three blocks from my bank branch.
What was on the menu?
My first menu had mantu dumplings and kormas: chicken, beef and eggplant. The first day we only had two or three customers. It was discouraging. But after a month or so, through word of mouth, we started to get business. After a few months, we added Afghan burgers and fries. We started doing outdoor festivals and were featured in The New York Times, which helped a lot.
What is an “Afghan” burger?
In Afghanistan, it’s flat bread wrapped around hot dogs, french fries, lettuce and tomatoes. My burger is a patty made of chapli kebab, which is a blend of ground beef, vegetables and spices. We cook it on a flat-top grill with cheese and put it on a potato bun with cilantro green chili mayo. The fries are coated with a blend of cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and other spices. We also make a red-chili garlic ketchup that goes well with the fries. The burger and fries are our most popular dish.
How did the business survive the pandemic?
In late 2019, I had been invited to take a prime spot at The Deco, a new food hall in midtown Manhattan. It was elegant, with blue marble tile and brass. But I needed capital to build out a kitchen and buy equipment. I sold my food truck and gathered up whatever money I could. Things were going great until COVID hit. Still, we had a great brand and food that people loved. In 2021, after people were comfortable being together outdoors again, I got calls from markets at Rockefeller Plaza and the Queens Night Market, and we rebounded. About 18 months ago I got married and my wife, Komel, and I moved to Newburgh. I was looking for a place to open a restaurant. Komel said: “Why not Beacon?” We opened in August. Now, I’m looking around the Hudson Valley for other locations. I may also work my way downstate. Maybe back to the city. Maybe into Jersey. Who knows?
