New Cheese Shop: Abu Rasheed Store

Meet Nariman Itma, owner of Abu Rasheed Store, a new specialty cheese shop on Bronte Rd. Nariman and her four children immigrated to Canada five years ago as refugees. Since arriving, she secured both permanent residency and opened her own business from home. After three successful years she made the decision to open a brick-and-mortar store in February 2021. She runs the business with the help of her children. The Bronte BIA got a chance to interview Nariman to talk about her business and her thoughts on the area so far.

What does Abu Rasheed Store Offer?

Abu Rasheed Store sells its own recipes for Middle-Eastern cheese as well as its own desserts. “We also carry other products from the Holy Land of Jerusalem such as Kunafa, Halawa, Baklava, herbs and more,” says Nariman. It also carries Turkish and Italian products.

What do you love about Bronte?

“Bronte is a lively neighborhood,” says Nariman. “People are walking, running, walking their dogs. The specialty of our store needs a lively neighborhood like Bronte for customers to come by [our] store and test [our] products.” Nariman is a people person. “I love to make connections with the customers and talk with them. We are not a grocery store, we are a specialty store, so that in-person connection is great to have.”

The environment of Bronte was also an attractive draw for Nariman. She says, “I like Lakeshore and going on walks with my little girl, it’s so safe and so fun! When the pandemic is finally over hopefully everything will be open and we can enjoy it to the fullest.”

What do you hope for the future of your business in Bronte?

Being new to the area, Nariman is still exploring the connections she can make in Bronte. “I have not been here long enough to know what I would want to change, but I would like to get to know and meet other business owners to connect more,” she says. 

Visit Abu Rasheed Store today to say hello to Nariman and try some of her delicious homemade Middle-Eastern recipes and more!