Barbur World Foods

Our Store, Our Story.
How we became Barbur World Foods.

Barbur Foods has been a fixture on the corner of the busy intersection of Southwest Barbur Boulevard and Capitol Highway for more than 70 years. When John Attar purchased the historic corner market in September 2004, he immediately began to transform it. John and his wife, Mirna, who are Lebanese, already owned Ya Hala (8005 S.E. Stark St.), a popular Middle Eastern restaurant that has a small specialty import market attached. International brands began to fill shelves of the 13,000-square-foot store on Barbur.

Oversize flatbread spilled off shelves typically full of loaves of sourdough, white and wheat. Bushel barrels full of nuts replaced shelves at the store's entrance, and less familiar tube-like pastas appeared next to the standard macaroni and spaghetti. Neighbors worried: Would they still be able to count on running in for standards like milk, bread and beer? As the months went by, locals breathed a sigh of relief. While a new deli case was added, the rows narrowed, and merchandise shifted around, the store still had everything the average shopper wanted. Better yet, the selection of fresh produce expanded. People began to try new things.

John was cautious not to move too quickly. While he has made considerable changes, he makes sure his store, which he renamed Barbur World Foods, provides staples for the neighborhood in which it is located while also offering international and healthy foods, many of which are made in the deli's impressive kitchen. John wanted his store to be one of a kind, and key to his concept was offering affordable foods from around the world. "I want people to experience the foods of the world at reasonable prices," John says. Mirna Attar is the owner and Chef at Ya Hala. "I saw Americans loving my wife's food," John says, "and they always asked about recipes. They needed the right ingredients, so we started carrying them."

The store carries a wide range of food from all over, particularly from Europe and the Middle East. Health also is important to the Attars, so they stock organic and natural foods throughout the store. The deli carries food made on the premises and includes more vegan dishes as well as vegetarian selections. On any given day customers are likely to find spanikopita, malfouf (a stuffed cabbage dish), grape leaves stuffed with vegetables, and more. Piping-hot pita bread baked fresh is one of the most popular treats in the store. The fresh pitas are not baked until someone orders them, and are ready in less than 5 minutes.

Both the wine and beer selections include expanded local selections. The meat department carries Painted Hills natural beef, Carlton Farm pork, and chicken raised without antibiotics or hormones. The produce department has a wide selection of locally sourced fruits and vegetables. "We try to buy locally when we can to cut down on fossil fuel," John says. "And we also buy in bulk and then break things down into smaller packages ourselves." The store carries more than 80 varieties of nuts, including unusual varieties like Turkish and jalapeno pistachios. Mixed in with all the specialty items are cans of Campbell's soup, boxed breakfast cereals, and jars of plain old ketchup and mustard. Attar says that while Barbur World Foods now is a destination store drawing people from all over the Portland area, it's important to him that he continues to serve the neighborhood. "We don't want to leave anyone out," John says, "Some families have limited budgets. This is their store, and we want them to keep shopping here. We are here to serve our community."