Our Story
Meet the Persian Empress–Chef Afagh’s journey to Columbus.
Afagh Sarikhani left Iran as an asylum seeker with four children and at 34 years old, she restarted her life in Germany. As a single mother, she always made sure that her kids had everything they needed.
Her love of cooking was always there, but she brought it to another level when she volunteered to cook for others in the refugee center that was home for many Persian refugees, among others. She made this a common practice because it truly brought all different nationalities together.
In 2000, Afagh restarted her life again by moving to Columbus. Her passion to cook for others never left, and her house was always full of guests and elaborate table spreads. With the help of her children, her home became a hub for anyone who needed somewhere to feel like family.
For years, Afagh’s son Amir dreamt of getting her incredible, uniting food out into public view. He brought on brother Ash and school friend Gary. This brought with it an extra attention to be accessible to the vegan and vegetarian communities of which they were a part. Thus, Arezu was born.
