Introducing Detroit Evening Report Weekends: Zafreen’s Kitchen
Detroit Evening Report hosts take a step away from the news of the week and spend some time with the community members who make up Detroit’s rich culture and identity.
Nargis Rahman and Sascha Raiyn record in the studio at WDET.
In the first installment of the Detroit Evening Report Weekends, hosts Nargis Rahman and Sascha Raiyn share the story of how Zafreen’s Kitchen came to be.
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In the early months of the pandemic, a Bangladeshi woman living in Metro Detroit lost her job.
Initially, Sadya Chowdhury buckled down like everyone else during the COVID-19 lockdown. But over time she found a way to pursue a dream she’s had for a very long time — cooking for others.
Chowdhury began cooking for one customer who contracted the virus for three months. Then she launched her Instagram page Zafreen’s Kitchen in October 2020, where she posted her food. It blossomed to 1,000 followers within three months. She’s now completed nearly 400 orders on average five a week, sometimes cooking for 200 people at a time.
Her business name, Zafreen’s Kitchen, comes from her nickname, Zafreen.
Her meals are made up of Bangladeshi staple foods like party-style chicken roast, pulao, khala buna, and beef curry. She occasionally makes fusion foods upon request.
Chowdhury says she’s happy she has been able to make a name for herself.
“I love it! I feel like a boss lady… coming all the way from Bangladesh and becoming something and people know me as Zafreen’s Kitchen,” she says.
Related posts:
- How Losing Her Job Led Bangladeshi Woman to Launch a Catering Business During the Pandemic
- Muslims begin the month of Ramadan in Southeast Michigan
- Bangladeshi American Tania Begum shares journey of becoming a community pharmacist
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
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