Saffron De Twah trims hours, teases new cafe
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Saffron De Twah at 7636 Gratiot Ave. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
Notable Moroccan restaurant Saffron De Twah has narrowed its hours to weekends while its founder works up a new cafe concept.
Why it matters: The small restaurant on Gratiot Avenue isn't sustainable in its current form, chef Omar Anani wrote in a letter to supporters last week while teasing several upcoming changes.
- He cites industry challenges, as food and wage costs rise while fewer people dine out.
State of play: Saffron De Twah, which opened in 2019 in the McDougall Hunt area, is too small to seat enough people to turn a sustainable profit, Anani tells Axios. He's reducing hours while he seeks a larger location.
- Anani, a James Beard Award contender and "Chopped" winner, plans to start a cafe during the now-empty weekdays at a yet-to-be-determined date.
- The cafe concept is Cara, short for caravanserai. It's inspired by the spices and vibes of the inns where travelers stopped along the Silk Road, contributing to the evolution of food traditions along the way.
Separately, Anani's new cheap-eats concept centering on rotisserie chicken, Nomad Rotisserie, is popping up at Third Street Bar Mondays and Wednesdays this month, starting at 6pm. It's expected to open full time around next month.
- The chef's other previously announced plan for two new restaurants and apartments on the east side is stalled due to a loss of grant funding, he says.
Zoom out: Nationally, many independent restaurants say they've hit a pricing ceiling, according to the James Beard Foundation's annual industry report.
- As industry challenges have increased, operators have used survival tactics like raising prices.
- But restaurants that raised prices more than 10% in 2025 were most likely to report lower profits, while diners push back by ordering less.
- In 2026, per the report, stability depends less on charging more — and more on running smarter.
What they're saying: "What you're finding is the middle-tier restaurants are dying and the upper and lower tier restaurants are doing extremely well," Anani tells Axios.
- "People are … either eating cheaper or they're saving up their money, eating out a lot less, and doing the higher-end dining."
What's next: Look out for more details on Cara's opening.
- Plus, Anani is also planning a Chipotle-style eatery in the Merit Park development underway along Grand River Avenue that includes shipping container food and retail spaces, a gym, splash pad and video production space.