Much more than a simple Pakistani family restaurant, Mama Khan is a place of solidarity fighting against food insecurity. Meet Abdul Raziq Khan, co-founder of this establishment whose name honors the memory of his mother.
Friday February 14, 2025. While the storefronts of the city's businesses were decorated with bouquets of flowers and chocolate boxes, a different kind of love is shared on Saint-Denis Street. At Mama Khan, no candlelit dinner or romantic declarations, but 60 carefully opened food containers, ready to receive the dish of the day, consisting of rice, salad and chickpeas.
Despite the temporary closure of the restaurant due to the death of Abdul Raziq Khan's father and aunt, he, his mother and his childhood friend Thanver Hossain have been busy, as every Friday for the past three years, to feed those in need.
“We've been closed for two months, but on Fridays we continue to distribute food,” said Abdul Raziq, 29. His black cap on his head and his dark contrast with h personality and bright smile.
This Friday, as every week, they hit the road to distribute free meals to the most needy. Today, the appointment is set at Parc station.
A vocation despite adversity
Born and raised in Parc-Extension, Abdul always knew that food could be a vehicle for social connection. However, the path that led him to Mama Khan was not linear. Before putting on the apron, he worked in very different jobs, including those of nightclub bouncer and security guard.
But behind these experiences, a dream remained rooted in him: to become a social worker. “I wanted to become a social worker, but I had to go to McGill, and I was not the smartest at school,” he says. When he realized that this path was closed to him, he decided to do something else: create a space where social assistance comes through meals. “When I opened the restaurant, I knew that, for me, the best way to help the community was to donate food.”
Giving back to the community and fighting food waste
“It's weird for a restaurant to give back, I know that," admits Abdul Raziq, shrugging his shoulders. "But the truth is that at the end of the day, there is always food left over. So, rather than throwing it away, we put it in food containers that we give to the community.”
Every evening, before the doors even close, the unserved dishes are redistributed. “It's a hot meal, it's a real plate, prepared with the same care as for any customer.”
A wall covered with yellow tickets at the back of the room testifies to this generosity. It's the “Mama Khan paid for it” program. Since its creation, more than 1,100 meals have been offered. But Abdul doesn't plan on stopping there. “Maybe we'll reach 2,000 this year.”
The idea came to him after watching homeless people enter the restaurant and ask for a few pennies from the customers at the table. A scene that was repeated so many times that Abdul understood that a solution had to be found. “There is a real problem on Saint-Denis. A lot of people are homeless. So I asked myself, 'What can we do?'”
The answer was obvious: offer free meal tickets hung on the restaurant wall. The premise is simple: anyone in need can come in, get a ticket, and get a hot meal, no questions asked.
“Customers can donate five dollars to provide a meal to people in need. But because we're a restaurant, it's not easy to always ask people to contribute; so we usually pay out of our own pocket,” says Abdul.
With these meal vouchers, people in need no longer need to beg. “I wanted it to be anonymous, simple, without justification. All you have to do is arrive with your ticket to enjoy the meal, because everyone deserves to eat.”
Every day, five or six people come to get a meal, says Abdul. “It doesn't seem like a lot, but if you do the math, from every Tuesday to Sunday, after two, three months, that's 200 to 300 meals distributed.”
Faith as fuel: giving without expecting anything in return
When Abdul Raziq is asked if giving so much food has put Mama Khan in trouble, he doesn't think before answering: “Surely, totally, that's for sure!" But immediately, her smile grew wider. “The truth is that I am a Muslim. And in my faith, we believe that every good action is a reward in itself.”
Since the death of his father on September 17, Abdul has redoubled his efforts. “Everything I do today, I am doing for him.” For the boss, giving is not synonymous with losses or sacrifice. “What did I really lose? Nothing. I fed someone, I helped someone, that's all.”
And with Ramadan fast approaching, Mama Khan is preparing a special initiative: to offer free meals to single-parent families and widows. “A single mother, a person in difficulty can contact us on Instagram or by email, and a volunteer will bring her a meal.”
Another project is also very close to his heart: a program of free halal school meals. “One out of five children in Quebec goes to school without lunch. It's huge! ” he exclaims.
Abdul can't help but think of his former classmates. “I saw them, they had nothing to eat all day long, I remember them. And I also remember the kid that I was. I was neither poor nor rich, my parents did everything they could for me and gave me two dollars every day so that I could buy lunch and a snack.” During his college years, those two dollars allowed her to eat. “A cookie was barely 50 cents, and anyway, I couldn't eat much, because in 2010 there was no real halal choice.”
This observation remains current in school cafeterias. “They do not offer halal meals, which necessarily excludes many Muslim children”, regrets Abdul. Thanks to his ambitious program, the chef intends to reduce this disparity.
No government help, but a reprimand
If Mama Khan survives and continues to help hundreds of people every month, it is neither thanks to the Quebec government or to institutional support.
“No funds, nothing. I don't get a single cent from the government,” says Abdul, without anger, but with a touch of weariness: its status as a restaurant, and not a non-profit organization, in fact deprives it of public subsidies. Instead, he relies on organizations like Islamic Relief, private donors, and his community.
And the most ironic thing about it all? Although he did not receive any help, he was nevertheless reprimanded by the Quebec government. “I had problems with the CAQ because the free meal tickets distributed by the restaurant were written in English. Someone reported us to the government, and I received a letter prohibiting us from offering free meals... with tickets written in English.” The Quebec government requires him to translate the tickets into French, under penalty of sanctions. For three weeks, the program was therefore suspended, while new meal tickets were printed.
“We didn't realize that even a simple piece of paper like that had to be in French or bilingual. It wasn't voluntary, we just wanted to help.”
“We make mistakes, we are told, we correct them — that's all.” He shrugs his shoulders and smiles. Neither the lack of subsidies nor even administrative hurdles will stop him.
A message to young people
“You don't need a piece of paper to know what you can do or who you are.” Abdul says these words confidently. “I wanted to help others. Today, I do it through Mama Khan, and maybe even more so than if I had followed my original plan to become a social worker.”
For him, everything starts with action: “Do what you have to do. Look, I'm from Parc-Extension. I never thought I would have a business on Saint-Denis Street one day!”
The young man also knows how unforgiving streets in neighborhoods like Parc-Extension can be. “Whether you are a 'good kid' or a, sooner or later, you can get involved in problems.” He remains evasive about his past, but warns: “I saw both sides of the street. Trust me, you don't want to end up in prison or die.”
So, he insists on what he would have liked to hear at their age: youth organizations exist, you should take advantage of them. You have to hold on to what can make you grow. Abdul is not trying to give big lessons. Just advice, a heartfelt warning. “I come from the street, from Parc-Ex. What you are going through now, I have experienced it. Stay true to yourself.”
How you can help Mama Khan
Today, Mama Khan's donations work thanks to the generosity of those who believe in its mission, but also thanks to the restaurant's funds and, in many cases, the personal resources of Abdul and his family. However, helping can take the form of the simplest and smallest gesture, he reminds us: “If you want to support us, it's easy: talk about us. Like, share, spread the word.”
With these words, Abdul gets up and disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, he reappeared, a large steaming pot in his hands. His friend lifts the lid and, without waiting, starts filling the trays lined up near the entrance.
“We don't eat meat because in Parc-Extension, many are Hindu and prefer a vegan option,” explains Abdul. Every detail counts so that no one is left behind.”
N.B.: This interview has been translated from English.