Walid El Sabbagh

Name: Walid El Sabbagh
Job: Owner, Koshari Korner
Age: 30
Arrived from Egypt, 2015

I’m the owner of Koshari Korner, an eatery that makes Egyptian street food. I travel around Sydney and surrounding areas with my food truck selling koshari - a mix of pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, topped with fried onion and spicy tomato sauce. I started the business in 2016 after trying and failing to get a permanent job as a marine engineer in Sydney.

Before moving to Australia, I worked for large shipping companies in UAE – my pay was good, and the work suited my qualifications. But I had to stay at sea for six months and only came home for two months. After getting married, this lifestyle didn’t suit my partner and me, and it became a huge challenge as my wife preferred not to live in Egypt or UAE. She persuaded me to find work and settle down in Australia, which is where she’s from originally. I’m an only child, and my dad passed away years ago – so I decided to leave behind a lucrative, well-paid skilled job and my mum to start a new life in Australia.

All the companies I applied to for marine engineering work asked for local experience even though I had worked overseas for years. Eventually, I found a casual job at the Sydney Boathouse, but it didn’t pay enough, as Sydney is a very expensive city. My wife found out about an event called NSW Government's Small Biz Connect. I went along, and one of their representatives interviewed me.

We discussed my likes and dislikes in that interview. Since I like cooking, the interviewer suggested starting up an Egyptian street food business. They gave me the details for Catalysr, a company that helps migrants start their own businesses. I went through their entrepreneurship program and began Koshari Korner. The main challenge I faced initially was raising awareness about a cuisine no one really knew. Egyptian food isn’t as popular as Indian or Chinese food plus it’s vegan, so it was difficult to get my name out there.

Now my food is extremely popular, and it’s become a full-time business and job for me. I also cater for events and cook in vegan festivals. People like my food because it’s healthy, delicious and vegan - the response has been fantastic. The vegan movement in Australia is also helping my business grow. My dream is to see a Koshari Korner food truck in every corner of Sydney and eventually across Australia.

What I love most about Australia is that you get a lot of support for small business owners who are trying to get established or running a business. Paperwork is easy and done in a day, unlike Egypt where it can take months for government officials to approve forms. The lifestyle here is also much more comfortable than Egypt. You can do almost everything online, and there are different ways to get support for those running small businesses.

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