A quiet voice in a noisy world: The journey from Beirut to Edmonds

A capacity crowd comprised of Sno King American Association of University Women members, their guests and friends of Café Louvre co-owner Haifa Fakih Allhussieni gathered Saturday morning in Lynnwood to hear the popular businesswoman regarding the life’s journey that brought her – and her husband, Nabil – to own the popular café and coffee house in downtown Edmonds.

After the meeting was called to order by co-president Anne Penny at Fairwinds Brighton Court, member Maureen Welly introduced Haifa to the enthusiastic audience.

“I am going to speak from my heart and start from the beginning,” Haifa began, continuing with a talk that was sprinkled with wisdom, laughter and global realities, and kept listeners spellbound for 45 minutes.

In chronological order, Haifa explained that she was born in Lebanon during the late ’60s, before the 1975 breakout of the Lebanese Civil War.

Her family left Lebanon for Dubai and she was enrolled in a Catholic school, where she studied French. After eight years in exile, her parents were able to return with their children to Lebanon where Haifa was then enrolled in a school whose curriculum included studying English and the Protestant faith.

Admittedly headstrong, Haifa rebelled against the direction her father had in mind for her education and ultimately enrolled at a prominent Lebanese university in Beirut as the civil war continued to rage. Haifa noted to the audience that, although Beirut was portrayed as a city completely under siege, the war was actually restricted to certain Beirut districts, allowing for a college lifestyle of “swimming on hot days, night life and a lifestyle that is great for young people.”

She told of continuing to focus on her successful studies in interior design, achieving her bachelor’s degree and soon realizing that – even as a 23-year-old woman – her designs were being taken seriously. Haifa stepped back for a moment and explained to the audience that she was the first person in her family to achieve a bachelor’s degree.

With her reputation in design established, Haifa soon realized that “success equals financial independence.” She set her sights on London where she became a sought-after designer.

But, as Haifa approached her 30^th birthday, the importance of establishing a family weighed on her and she returned to Lebanon. It was not long before she met her husband Nabil who at the time was an officer in the U.S. Army.

Soulmates

“I knew immediately upon meeting Nabil that I would be happy,” she said,  a remark that caused a ripple of laughter from those who have seen the couple work together at their coffee house. “We became soul mates.”

Ultimately Nabil left the service. His career as a civilian and U.S. citizen took them to Michigan; to California where the couple began a tax consulting business in Modesto and then, four years ago brought them to Edmonds.

Haifa noted that when she arrived in Edmonds, she noticed a difference in how people socialized with one another. “In Modesto, one might ask for help and people move past, ignoring you. The first thing that I noticed about Edmonds was that people were actually helping me for the first time since I had arrived in the United States.

“The journey is more important than anything else,” she added of the experiences she gained as she and Nabil meandered toward the Pacific Northwest.

Nabil’s brother, who had been the guiding light that led the couple and their two children to Edmonds, left the Northwest. This change in plans resulted in Haifa and Nabil choosing to stay in Edmonds, considering fresh opportunities.

Realizing how much Northwest residents appreciate coffee, and recognizing how much they love their own style of Turkish coffee, the couple was drawn to the possibility of owning the Tully’s Coffee franchise where Café Louvre now operates. Tully’s shut its doors in downtown Edmonds while the couple were in negotiation, but after that, they had made the personal commitment to use the space at 115 5^th Ave. S. as a coffee house.

“With my husband’s MBA and my experience in interior design, we knew that selling the right product and hiring the right people would make us happy. We continued on.”

She cautions new business owners with this advice, “You cannot count pennies, or hope that your business will support you before the third year; it’s unrealistic. You will be the one supporting your new business. One must first extend generosity, before generosity is returned.”

Café Louvre is now beginning its fourth year with an eye to meeting the needs of its customers. Haifa purchases non-gluten food items, and adheres to healthy food choices for her patrons – many of them so regular that Haifa and Habil worry when a regular customer doesn’t make it in on any particular day.

“I have sent texts to check on our regular customers if they do not come in and we haven’t heard of their vacation plans. Our customers are very much a part of our lives.

“I love people and greeting each customer who comes in to Café Louvre is like welcoming guests to a party! Seeing their faces makes me a happy person.”

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Café Louvre continues to be the venue for Friday night “Edmonds Tunes,” which offers auditioned live music to complement the café’s coffee bar, drinks, and food selections.

Haifa and Habil have applied for a liquor license and hope to soon expand their beverage menu to include wine.

— Story and photos by Emily Hill