Khorasan Kabob House will close Sunday. Owner says Sioux Falls isn't diverse enough to be sustaining.

After nearly 20 years of serving authentic Afghan, Middle-Eastern and West-Asian cuisine in Sioux Falls, Khorasan Kabob House will close its doors Sunday, extending its closure date one week longer than previously announced .

The Afghan eatery, at 923 S. Marion Road, offers some of the area’s finest Afghan, Middle-Eastern and West-Asian food such as their signature kabobs, butter chicken and lamb dishes.

Chef and owner Arian “Abdul” Wisaal said there just aren’t enough people coming in and trying the food for his business to remain sustainable. He also believes that as of now, Sioux Falls doesn’t have the population to support more diverse restaurants, especially those from Afghanistan and the Middle East.

“For 19 years we tried our best, but what we were expecting to come out of it never happened,” Wisaal said.

The Sioux Falls metro area, since Wisaal opened his first restaurant in 2005, has grown from a population of 140,959 to about 304,555 and counting today, but the Afghan population is minimal and difficult to measure. Until recently, the U.S. Census and other federal forms have not included a category for those of Middle Eastern or North African descent , forcing them to check "white" or "other," until it was added by the Office of Management and Budget in March.

He said although he and his family are extremely appreciative of the support and friendships they gained, as well as the opportunity to live in America to follow their dreams and escape war-torn countries, overall, it’s been a challenge to survive as a minority business, as well as be fully embraced for their culture and food by the community.

Another barrier to climb was finding grocery items nearby for the restaurant. Wisaal said it’s difficult, especially for a small business, to travel long distances to purchase items such as kosher meats.

“I didn't make it but maybe someone else can,” Wisaal said. “The community needs to support each other. Support small businesses and people who come with a different culture, with different foods or different ideas. Give them a chance.”

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A limited menu will be available until their final day of business, with no halal chicken due to dramatic price increases. Halal meat is prepared according to Islamic dietary laws, which include a more humane slaughter method.

Wisaal will also be selling his high-quality, hand-knotted Afghan carpet collection from Afghanistan at 75 to 80% off. To Wisaal, these rugs are a lifelong passion because of their colors, artistry and timelessness, according to the restaurant’s website .

Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner through Sunday.

Comfort food and exotic cuisine

The name Khorasan is Persian for “Land of the Sun” or “Eastern Province.” It references countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in the historical Middle Eastern region.

The Khorasan Kabob House offered more than 50 Afghan dishes and Middle Eastern specialties, including their famous kabobs, marinated in various spices, grilled and served with salad, basmati rice and chutney.

Other dishes offer items such as biryani, steamed rice with meat, and/or vegetables and spices served with yogurt. Kabuli Pilau, Afghanistan’s national dish, is baked chicken over Afghan rice accompanied by meatballs and yogurt on the side. And for dessert, a flaky pastry consisting of pecans and honey called baklava.

The menu also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals, as well as a kids menu. Many orders can be adjusted to customers’ preferred spice levels from 1 to as high as 10.

Starting out

Wisaal said he didn’t set out to work in the food industry. Instead, he studied journalism, history and literature and can speak four to five languages including English, Russian and Persian.

After eating at several Sioux Falls restaurants, Wisaal said he noticed there weren’t any options for Middle Eastern food. So in 2004, he set up a food booth and served kabobs at the annual Festival of Cultures in Sioux Falls. Long lines of customers began to form, making his food an instant hit.

“When I saw support that day, I started to believe in myself again,” Wisaal said.

With encouragement from friends, Wisaal decided to pursue opening his own restaurant.

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Wisaal then opened Global Village Cafe on 41st Street, across from the Western Mall and Best Buy, in 2005.

The Argus Leader published an article and review of Wisaal’s restaurant, which proudly hangs as a plaque upon entering the business to this day.

Former Argus Leader reporter Jarett C. Bies wrote the article, giving Global Village Cafe a glowing review.

“Each delicious entree of authentic Afghan food (we loved the kabobs and the roasted chicken with the rice dish Kabuli Pilau) is served with a wonderful chutney, a mix of green tomatoes and herbs,” Bries stated. “The service is patience in the flesh, with suggestions galore. The prices are right, too, as all the larger entrees are huge meals. Every bite was a blast at the Global Village Cafe.”

But even then, Bies reported it was a “shame this eatery in the Troika store on 41st Street isn't busier.”

After the word was out, the Global Village Cafe quickly became popular. In 2008, Wisaal closed the restaurant to serve a tour of duty as a linguist in war-torn Afghanistan for the U.S. Army, according to the restaurant’s website. Being an interpreter for the U.S. in Afghanistan is considered a highly dangerous role given the Taliban have persecuted those who work for the U.S. military and their families.

The Sioux Falls community, however, didn’t forget about Wisaal’s authentic cuisine. Upon his return, friends and past customers pleaded that Wisaal reopen. In 2010, he did just that, reopening under a new name, Khorasan Kabob House.

After his first wife’s passing from throat cancer, Wisaal was remarried to Tamana, an Afghanistan refugee living in Pakistan. Because of his military service as an interpreter, Wisaal was able to quickly bring his new bride back to Sioux Falls, where she learned to speak, read and write English and earned a certificate from Stewart School, specializing in hair and skin care.

From there, Wisaal’s business continued to grow when he and his family moved the restaurant to West 12th Street and Garfield Avenue , across from Golden Harvest. The space, previous Argus Leader reporting stated, was three times the size of its original location, allowing Wisaal to serve from an expanded menu.

Despite the larger space and menu, the restaurant’s lack of traffic chipped away at the number of customers, even dropping a few regulars. In 2019, Wisaal decided to close and reopen at a more visible location at 923 S. Marion Ave ., where the business operates today.

A big dream

Wisaal moved to Sioux Falls in 2003, after having lived in Pakistan as a refugee to escape the Taliban in Afghanistan. Accompanying him were four foster children and two more children he was raising with his late first wife.

At first, the couple began working at John Morrell’s (now Smithfield ). Wisaal credits Joan Neugebauer from Volunteers of America for helping him and his wife learn to speak English, as well as assisting with the large amount of paperwork for Global Village Cafe.

At that time, the family had Lutheran Social Services (LSS) of South Dakota help them find a place to live, as well as search for jobs and help with medical expenses.

But by 2021, South Dakota became one of four states, along with the District of Columbia, to announce it wouldn’t be accepting any of the 37,000 Afghan refugees fleeing from the Taliban to the U.S. Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota stated those arriving from Afghanistan without special immigrant visas were not eligible to work or receive federal aid to help them resettle, according to the Associated Press.

According to previous Argus Leader reporting, LSS President and CEO Rebecca Kiesow-Knudsen, said there isn't much of an Afghan community in South Dakota so they didn't participate in the Afghan Placement & Assistance (APA) program , an emergency program created in response to the evacuation efforts in Afghanistan in addition to traditional refugee settlement.

"South Dakota has never been a state that has a large population of Afghans. And our traditional resettlement program is, if you look at the numbers,... for the last five years, I think it was like three - very few who have arrived outside of that Afghan program," said Kiesow-Knudsen.

She said LSS wants to ensure successful integrations in South Dakota and they had "really significant concerns" about their ability to do so.

"I don't know that we really think a lot about restaurants and our private business owners. In that sense, we do think about what it takes, you know, the elements of successful integration. And one of the things that we know is helpful or supportive is if there's a community group to join that speaks the same language and is the same culture and where refugees arrive across the country in general," Kiesow-Knudsen said.

Gov. Kristi Noem also expressed in August 2021 reservations about accepting evacuees from Afghanistan, according to prior Argus Leader reporting . She told KSFY-TV, "We do not want them coming here unless we know they are an ally and a friend, and that they don’t want to destroy this country.”

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Since 2002, there have been only 40 Afghan refugees in Sioux Falls, which has an overall total of 5,526 refugees .

“Not every Afghan or Muslim person is an extremist,” Wisaal said. “We may have different beliefs and ways of life, but one thing that always exists is humanity. We all exist in this world. We are human and we have a gift in this life.”

For Wisaal, coming to America was his big dream. And he believes many people around the world still agree with this notion.

“That’s what makes this country great," he said. "It’s built from all of us."

For those traveling to America, Wisaal said it’s the beginning of a new life and building from ground zero.

“ We don’t have a home to go back to and at times, we don’t feel we truly belong in a country where most of us are immigrants and refugees who love and want to serve this country,” Wisaal said.

As refugees and immigrants prepare for their new lives, Wisaal said a great way to make them feel more welcome and succeed is by helping them learn and develop American ways and “give them a hand.”

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“Why do they want to keep all these people in a cage?” Wisaal said. “Let’s make this country a ‘dream country’ for all.”

The main ingredient? Human connection

Wisaal said through it all, it has been his family’s pleasure to live in this community of “very kind-hearted people.”

One of those people is loyal customer Sandon Sharpe, who discovered Khorasan Kabob House in 2022 with a friend and then continued to eat there every two weeks, dubbing it his favorite restaurant in Sioux Falls and forming relationships with the owners who brought it here.

Sharpe relayed that Khorasan Kabob House’s “authentic and delicious Afghan food” was prepared by people who are passionate about sharing their culture with others.

“It [the restaurant] created an atmosphere of a culture I cannot experience anywhere else in Sioux Falls or perhaps even the entire Midwest,” Sharpe said.

"The closing of Khorasan Kabob House is a loss for our town," said Kathleen Rowland Hong, a longtime customer since The Global Village Cafe. "The food was some of the best in Sioux Falls...The Turkish coffee was delicious and such a treat! The owner and his family were always warm and welcoming. We loved the restaurant's atmosphere as much as we loved the food. We will miss it!"

WHAT ARE THEY SMILING ABOUT?These happy couples have just finished eating their delicious meals at Khorasan Kabob...

Posted by Khorasan Kabob House on Sunday, October 1, 2017

Wisaal said he worked hard to give his customers an environment where people can make real, human connections, sometimes as many as 16 to 20 hours at a time.

“Sometimes, I’m sleeping here to take care of my customers better,” Wisaal said.

He reiterated nothing can replace the fellowship formed when others organically take the chance to get to know someone and how they make a difference for others.

“But we know all the famous actors. Oh, come on!” Wisaal said.  “It’s not actors who make your roads best. Who's cooking for you? Who's that doctor who sits for like six, seven hours in surgery? Who's cleaning your floor? Who cleans your bathroom? In regular life, it’s regular heroes who need support, too.”

After Khorasan Kabob House closes its doors for the last time, Wisaal said he can only hope that his next venture leads to more opportunities to serve others through his passion for cooking and sharing his homeland’s culture.

“I never give up. I will do this in a different way. Maybe I can find myself again. It’s never too late,” Wisaal said.

For now, Wisaal leaves Sioux Falls with parting wisdom: Life is short and is a gift, step outside your comfort zone and try new things, and be kind and close to one another.

“And just maybe, put some spice on it," he said.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Khorasan Kabob House will close Sunday. Owner says Sioux Falls isn't diverse enough to be sustaining.