Ghazi Sami “Big Sam” Saba of Dedham, formerly of Roslindale, a visionary who brought healthy Lebanese food and “wraps” to Boston passed away on February 6, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. He was 58 years old. Sami was the founder of Sami’s Falafel Truck of the Longwood Medical Area.
Ghazi was the loving son of Najla (Youssef) of Roslindale and the late Sami Saba. Dear and devoted husband of Hyam (Moussa). Beloved father of Sami Saba and his wife Amelia of Randolph, and Jihad Saba of Dedham. Loving brother of Dima Khoury and her husband Farid of Roslindale, Ghassan Saba of Roslindale, and Shehab Saba and his wife Nellie of PA. Sami is also survived by 6 loving nieces and nephews.
Ghazi Saba was truly a visionary. Had he not started his business back in 1979, people today might not know what falafel and hommous are. He started Big Sam's Falafel in 1979 in a converted 1968 Sunbeam Bread truck in the Longwood Medical Area. He just sold shish kebob and falafel sandwiches. Hommous and tabooli came shortly after. It was just Ghazi, a partner, and his wife, Hyam, who goes by Amy. In November of 1981, his 2 brothers, Shehab and Gus joined the team. They bought out the partner and changed the name to Sami's. When this change was made, they were given a spot on Binney Street by Children's Hospital. Ghazi decided that they needed to be open 24 hours because "the hospital is always there for us when we are sick, so we needed be there for them when they are hungry."
The word got out that there was this place selling some crazy food late at night, and it was good! A journalist working for the Simmons College school paper interviewed Ghazi and asked him, "Why are you doing this?" His response was that the American diet was not good. He observed in the early 80’s that obesity was a problem. The Lebanese diet was a much healthier way to go as most Lebanese food is high in vitamins, essential nutrients, and flavor, and low in fats and carbohydrates.
After a few years, he was offered a spot on Longwood Avenue in a small park across the street from Children’s Hospital. (The location is now home to the Children’s hospital garage, a Boloco and Starbucks). Sami’s place was a success. No matter the time of day, no matter the weather, you had cab drivers, doctors, nurses, professors, students, and everyone in between, lined up for Lebanese food.
All this was going on just around the corner from Harvard Medical School. In 1985 the Nobel Peace prize went to a group called the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Inc. One of the men in this group, Jim, who worked for Harvard Medical School, was Ghazi’s customer. Another project he was involved with was the study of the demographics of different cultures and their foods. Ghazi said they used to call him "hommous Jim" because that is all he ate. They began to study hommous and found that it’s not only delicious but very healthy. Hommous alone is now a $15 billion a year industry in this country. Almost every supermarket now has a Mediterranean bar.
Ghazi also revolutionized the way food was prepared and served. Sami’s was so efficient they were able to serve four customers per minute. Soon, there were men in suits with notepads and event counters in their hands observing his system. There is no way to be certain who they represented, but it was interesting to note that chains such as Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Burger King changed their systems. Coincidence? Who knows?
Ghazi also served all sorts of people. After a lot of their home games, several of the Celtics players (the original Big Three) would come and have some falafel. Kareem Abdul Jabbar would stop by every time they played the Celtics. Most of the Bruins came by as well. (Ghazi had befriended many of them when was a dishwasher at Daisy Buchanan’s in the 70's.)
According to his brother, Shehab, Sami’s was mentioned on David Letterman a few times because it was the only place in the country you could get this type of food served 24 hours a day; the other 24 hour joints were serving hot dogs, burgers, pizza, or steak subs. It did not matter to Ghazi if you were famous or just a regular guy. He had a huge heart and a philosophy that you would be served, money or no money.
Upon being informed of Ghazi’s death, a longtime customer told a story. When he was 19, he and his friends went clubbing and when things closed down they came to Sami's. "How much shish kebob can I get for a dollar?” he asked. Ghazi’s response, "How much do you need?" That man later became a high-ranking police officer and kept coming back, and he said if it weren't for Ghazi, he would have never tried this kind of food. Ghazi touched another man’s life in such a way that he would describe this encounter dozens of years later.
Ghazi did help to rewrite history in his own way. He didn't make the food industry as big as it is now. He didn't do a lot of the big things we see now, but he paved the way. He saw the problems that we have with the way we eat in this country. He knew that the way they ate in Lebanon was good. He just wanted to bring that concept to Boston… and then the world.
Today Ghazi’s son, Sami, proudly carries on his dad’s traditions at the Café Beirut in Jamaica Plain.
Sami's Funeral Service was held February 12, 2013 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church 55 Emmonsdale Rd. WEST ROXBURY.
Contributions in Ghazi’s memory may be made to the Church or to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.
Ghazi was laid to rest at Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.