Memorial to David Boutros created by Carla Boutros
International Pocket Café on Fortin Road reopened its doors on Oct. 1 after four months of renovations in honor of its original owner, the late David Boutros’ wishes.
The restaurant had a ribbon cutting ceremony on opening day, where David Boutros’ 9- year-old daughter cut the ribbon. The restaurant is located right by the University of Rhode Island Kingston Campus, in the Emporium.
Renovations began in May after the university closed for the summer, according to Carla Boutros, sister of David Boutros and manager of International Pocket Café’s Kingston location.
Updates included changing the floors and walls, cooling and modernizing the space, according to Carla Boutros. The renovations were originally David Boutros’ idea.
David Boutros wanted the International Pocket Café to be a place for his family and kids, according to Carla Boutros. This was a large part of why his wife decided to move forward with the renovations.
“We felt like it needed an uplift, and David wanted to do that, it was on his to-do list,” Carla Boutros said. “But he got very sick and he never got to it. And we wanted to spend as much time with him as we could.”
David Boutros started the International Pocket Café in 1992, when he would hand out free falafel samples, according to Carla Boutros.
“No one really knew at that time what falafel was,” Carla Boutros said. “[David] made everyone aware of it by presenting the sample, by explaining the ingredients.”
David Boutros eventually got the nickname, “Falafel Dave,” according to Carla Boutros. He would often be recognized in public.
“I can’t even tell you how many times that we went out to dinner, or the movies; everywhere that we went with him, everyone knew him,” Carla Boutros said.
They included a modern layout and designs on the walls to build the restaurant’s branding, according to Carla Boutros.
A notable addition to the dining area is a mural with the International Pocket Café logo located on the back wall, according to Carla Boutros. During renovations, students would often stop by asking when the restaurant would reopen.
“I was waiting until they opened from the renovation,” third-year student Antonio Salama said. “I was excited, I came in on the first day they reopened.”
There is a notable lack of Arab food options on campus, according to Salama, who is Egyptian.
“I think this is probably the best Mediterranean and Arab food on campus, that’s why I come here a lot,” Salama said. “It’s nice to walk into a familiar environment and have good food.”
Despite some delays, those involved in the project, including David Boutros’ wife, Andrea Boutros, wanted to make sure it was done the right way, Carla Boutros said.
David Boutros also opened a Mexican restaurant chain called Baja’s across the Northeast, according to Carla Boutros. He wanted to expand International Pocket Café the way he did with Baja’s. Carla Boutros now hopes to carry on that legacy.
Family was a crucial part of the business for David Boutros, according to Carla Boutros.
“This was a family owned business,” Carla Boutros said. “My mother worked here. [David] started having me work here when I was 13. He basically taught me everything that I know.”
The Boutros family immigrated from Syria to Lebanon in the 1970s, then to Rhode Island in 1984, according to Carla Boutros. The Boutros’ parents did not speak English, so David Boutros stepped up for his family.
“We basically started at poverty and he made sure that the family was taken care of,” Carla Boutros said. “And my mother, in return for that, she never left his side.”
Carla Boutros had a close relationship with her brother.
“[David was] not just my brother, he was my father, my brother, my best friend, I spent every weekend with him and I called him for everything,” Carla Boutros said.
David Boutros’s wife, Andrea Boutros, and the Boutros’ family now own his restaurants, according to Carla Boutros.
“I run into a lot of people at Restaurant Depot, my husband and I, and they always tell me, ‘Rhode Island is at a big loss,’” Carla Boutros said. “He helped everyone, and all of Rhode Island and Rhode Island business owners knew him. And they all looked up to him.”
David Boutros also maintained a strong connection with his community after his passing.
“David is International Pocket Café,” Carla Boutros said.
