Brahim Ighladen: My mom’s kitchen in Casablanca. We didn’t have a lot, but we made do with what we had. Food in Morocco is like a religion, it’s very important—if you can afford to eat, you’re okay! We Moroccans love to cook, love to eat.
Street: How did you first get involved in the food game? BI: When I first came to America I worked in a few different restaurants. It was just a dream to have my own place, it was something I always wanted to do.
Street: Why did you make the leap from your brick and mortar restaurant to a foodtruck? BI: It was a lot of hours, too much stress in the restaurant. It’s always a struggle. The truck is a lot easier, actually. A lot fewer expenses and headaches to deal with. Plus, I wanted to be closer to campus.
Street: How do you like serving a mostly student crowd? BI: Everyone’s nice and easy–going. Very friendly. I like the college life! I’ve been in University City for more than 15 years now. I don’t have to pay tuition, I don’t have to wake up early for classes, but I still get to live the college life.
Street: Any complaints? BI: The weather is sometimes an issue. Business is definitely slow when the weather is bad, but people who really love us still come. Mix the good with the bad, the year in general is always good overall.
Street: You have a reputation for being super friendly and welcoming, even during lunch rush. How do you keep it up? BI: I’m just being me. I’m a happy person, that’s all. I don’t fake it when I’m nice to people. My customer service is like that, I’m like that with people in general.
Street: What went into deciding your menu? BI: The name of the game in the truck industry is to be fast and effective. You have to come up with something that’s fast, healthy, delicious, but also different. So that’s what we try to do in the truck. We cook everything fresh. Whenever I go to Morocco I bring back as many spices and authentic ingredients as I can so we can serve something really special.
Street: Do you have a favorite item? BI: Fish shawarma. Some people aren’t so sure about trying fish from a food truck, but it’s fantastic. Every day it’s the first thing that sells out!
Street: There are rumblings that the menu might undergo an expansion. What can we expect to see/smell/taste in the future? BI: Soon we’ll have our own commissary. We’ve been working on it for some time. It should be ready early next year. Then we’ll take it to the next level. I won’t get too specific, but we’re going to have more traditional Moroccan dishes in addition to the sandwiches.
Street: Finally, what’s your take on Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Marrakesh Express”? BI: I know the story behind it: they were on tour in Morocco. They were riding the train in first–class, but they got bored, so they went back to third–class with all the regular people, and this was back in the ‘60s so there were chickens and goats and all that. I actually didn’t know about the song until after I opened the restaurant.
Marrakesh Express can be found at 40th and Locust streets and serves from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
