Sinbad’s
Address: 3435 South State Street
Telephone: 385-229-4437
Website:
District: South Salt Lake
“I always say, food can make people happy - it brings them together, helps us understand each other. That is what I enjoy doing." Ragda Safah’s journey spans continents, conflicts, and cultures. From Baghdad to Bountiful, she has moved through war and displacement with quiet strength, building a life rooted in purpose, learning, and love. Her warmth is immediate, her determination unmistakable, and every dish she prepares, every item she stocks on the shelves of Sindbad's - her Middle Eastern market - carries the imprint of that remarkable path.
Born and raised in Baghdad, Ragda and her husband, Khaled, were forced to flee Iraq in the mid-2000s as civil war and religious persecution made it increasingly dangerous for families like theirs - Muslims of minority sects - to live safely in their own neighborhoods. “They would put letters on our doorstep, telling us to leave everything behind or else,” she recalled. “It was no longer a choice.” In addition, militias targeted families like Ragda’s for their beliefs, issuing threats, kidnapping civilians, and carrying out killings or demanding ransom. Her husband, once a hotel manager in Baghdad, was forced to abandon his career and flee when the danger became too great. Neighborhoods changed overnight, becoming hostile and unfamiliar, forcing families to move repeatedly just to survive.
Khaled tried to establish a new life for them in Egypt in 2005, but the logistics of bringing the family there proved impossible. Eventually, they made it to Syria, where they lived in small apartments, moving often while waiting for their refugee application to be approved. In June 2009, after three uncertain years, the Safahs were resettled in Utah where Ragda's uncle had lived since the 1990s.
“Utah is my home,” Ragda said with conviction. It’s where she has been raising her four children, went back to school, and slowly rebuilt a life that had been uprooted. A former English teacher in Iraq with a degree in English literature from Baghdad University, Ragda enrolled at Salt Lake Community College - not because she needed to improve her English, but so she could help her children with their homework. “I felt like if I didn’t understand their school system, how could I support them?” she said. “So, I studied math, science, everything.”
Ragda’s passion for learning took her further than she imagined. She completed her associate degree and transferred to the University of Utah where she earned a master’s degree in teaching Arabic and English as a second language - while also carrying their fourth child. At the same time, she worked as an interpreter, taught at West High School, and cared for her growing family. “I remember my doctor once told me, ‘You’re working five jobs,’” she said, laughing. “It was true, but, honestly, I didn't like being home alone. I wanted to be with people similar in circumstances to mine."
While Ragda was teaching, Khaled launched a convenience store in Bountiful in 2013. He had supported her every step of the way through school, but now it was his turn. “He said, ‘Now it’s your time to help me.’ And he was right,” she said. Ragda stepped in and helped manage the store for nearly a decade. But even while supporting her husband’s business, she never lost sight of her own dream.
"I loved working with my husband, but I needed something more for me." In 2023, Ragda purchased Sindbad’s Store - the long-running Middle Eastern market that had evolved over the years from a grocery shop into a bakery and restaurant. Though it already had a foundation, Ragda brought her own vision to the business, expanding and refining the menu with her homemade recipes. “Cooking has always been my passion,” she said. “Now, I feel like I belong here with my people, with my community, doing what I love.”
Inside Sindbad’s, customers will find shelves stocked with specialty ingredients like tahini, dates, olives, olive oil, and two types of freshly made Iraqi bread. She proudly offers halal meats and hard-to-find pantry items that serve not only the Middle Eastern community but also Greek and other international customers. “Some products you can only find here,” she explained. “We carry what people grew up with.”
In the restaurant, the offerings are deeply rooted in traditional Iraqi and regional recipes: falafel, beef and chicken shawarma, kebabs, and pies filled with meat or cheese. Ragda’s dolma, wrapped not in grape leaves but in Swiss chard, is her husband’s favorite and a specialty of Iraqi kitchens. Though the restaurant menu is centered around meat dishes, vegetarian options can be made by request, including a flavorful vegetable kebab.
Every day, Ragda works on improving the space, adjusting the food, and meeting the needs of her diverse customers. “I love when someone who isn’t from the Middle East walks in,” she said. “I want to tell them all about our food, to share our culture. Just like I learned to cook Mexican food because my son loved it, I believe food is a way to learn about each other.”
Now living in Bountiful, Ragda says she has found peace at last. Her children are thriving. One recently earned a national merit scholarship to the University of Utah while two others are already studying at the U. And, though she has experienced tremendous loss, including the death of her mother in 2024 shortly after she was able to visit them here in Utah, Ragda is proud of what she has built. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve achieved something,” she said, her voice soft with emotion. “I miss my mom every day, but I know she saw us together here - all of her grandchildren in one place. That would never have happened in Iraq.”
After everything she and Khaled have been through - from war, displacement, and starting over again and again - Ragda remains full of purpose, warmth, and determination. “I still adore what I do,” she said with a smile. “This place, this food - it is my dream.”
