– Alex, where have you lived before moving to America, and why did you choose Austin, Texas?
My family and I are from Uzbekistan. We have lived most of our life in Uzbekistan, and we moved to America 10 years ago because of an invitation from the University of Texas at Austin. I worked there as a research assistant and received a scientific patent for the development of advanced nanomaterials and published over 30 articles in leading international journals. I worked at UT until 2018.
– What did you like the most about this city? And about Texas?
The first thing I noticed, of course, was the climate, the weather (except for winter), which here is very similar to the weather in Uzbekistan, which made a lasting impression. Also, it is very spacious here in Austin, unlike in other metropolitan areas, and the people here are pleasant, kind, and welcoming.
– Please tell us about your work, what are you doing at the moment?
At the moment, we are working on our own project. In 2018, I decided to try my hand and potential in a completely different area, and with the support of my family, we decided to open a restaurant.
– How did you come to such an interesting decision, to open a restaurant?
It was not easy to make such a decision, since I had no experience in this matter, but I really wanted to do something of our own, where we could share Uzbek traditions with the people of Austin. This is how our small family restaurant BowlMenu (aka UZeat) was born, where we welcome every guest and want them to feel at home. Here we offer not only dishes from our national cuisine, but also the opportunity to experience our Uzbek culture.
– How has COVID-19 affected your restaurant business?
Very badly. Opening a restaurant was difficult in the first place, but keeping it afloat is even more difficult. At the moment, many restaurants are suffering because of COVID, but we are trying to hang in there and keep growing. In this, we certainly receive tremendous support from our visitors, for whom we are very grateful. In the difficult conditions of the pandemic, each visit is very valuable to us. We hope that the days of COVID-19 are coming to an end and that we can fully recover from the damage.
At the end of this year, if conditions allow, we plan to open the restaurant 100%, and we invite everyone to dine with us.
– How often do Russian- speaking guests visit your restaurant?
Almost 70% of our visitors are Russian-speaking, and it seems to me that this speaks for itself about the role of the Russian community in our business. We hope we are able to bring a piece of homeland to all of our Russian-speaking visitors. Of course, we try to support the culture of the entire SNG by celebrating our traditional holidays: March 8th, New Year, and many more. We are always glad when people choose our restaurant for their family celebrations and events: birthdays, anniversaries, corporate functions, etc.
– What are your wishes for the Russian-speaking community of Austin?
It makes me happy that the Russian-speaking community is very actively developing and expanding in Austin: a Russian school, a day-care, a cultural center, an academy, shops, restaurants, salons, etc. We wish everyone the very best. We are delighted to be part of this community and hope that you will delight us with a visit and a friendly review! Of course, I would like to say thank you so much for the opportunity to tell you about myself. We invite everyone to come eat at our restaurant!
Contact information:
BOWL MENU
WELCOME TO THE FUSION
8650 SPICEWOOD SPRING RD SUITE 119
Phone. 512-992-0128
Instagram: @Bowlmenu
Website: www.bowlmenu.com
Interviewer: Dmitriy Ovcharenko
Editor: Olga Falkowski
Publisher: Russian Cultural Center