Mamma’s Sugar founder Alen Osman has hailed the launch of his new Maltese-Macedonian restaurant in the heart of Skopje as a major success, with around 3,000 to 4,000 people turning up on opening day alone this week.
“I was expecting people to turn up, but I wasn’t expecting so many,” Mr Osman tells WhosWho.mt. “It’s a huge number for the opening of a new restaurant.”
Just as the Maltese Mamma’s Sugar outlets include a number of Macedonian dishes, the new Macedonian restaurant includes several traditional Maltese foods and beverages, such as rabbit, pastizzi, ftajjar, imqaret and Cisk.
It is replete with Maltese themes and references, including Maltese flags, a Maltese limestone-inspired bar, paintings of Malta, and even luzzu-themed salt and pepper holders.
In fact, he said that several Maltese tourists have also visited his new restaurant.
“A lot of Maltese people turned up; some spotted the Maltese flag outside and were curious. I’m positively surprised that so many Maltese tourists are visiting Skopje; there aren’t usually many Maltese people in the plane when I travel there.”
As for the locals, Mr Osman said Cisk has proven particularly popular in his home country, and he now hopes to have the Maltese beer stocked across North Macedonia.
He is currently in talks with Cisk brewer Simonds Farsons over a potential importation deal.
“Several people, including pubs, have been asking for Cisk, but we currently only purchase small quantities for the restaurant. We’re now in talks with Farsons to hopefully start selling it across the entire country next year.”
