Youssef (Joe) Bazzi has been known around the Dearborn community as “Mr. Generous,” after opening up his Byblos Banquet Hall in 2005. Since then, Byblos has quickly become a prime location for events such as weddings, dinners and parties with its fancy interior décor and its wide menu of food options.

Bazzi with his wife (second from left) and two daughters at the ADC Martin Luther King Scholarship Reception, hosted by Byblos.

When Bazzi came to the United States at the age of 14, he had never imagined this is what he’d end up doing. Once his family moved to Dearborn with his five brothers, Bazzi attended Fordson High School followed by Henry Ford Community College. His time at HFCC was cut short after he decided to work with his dad and brothers in the gas station business in the mid-80’s. 

While Bazzi had established a good business with his brothers for nearly 20 years, they saw a better opportunity when the property that is now established as Byblos went on sale in 2004. 

“We took it because it was an opportunity…As you know America is the land of opportunity,” Bazzi stated. “It didn’t take me long at all to establish the venue,” Bazzi added. 

And before he knew it, his Hall was booking events six to seven times a week just within a six month period. Bazzi says establishing a good reputation for his banquet hall didn’t take long at all.

“The key component of this business is to provide good service and quality food,” he stated.

Not only has the food earned Bazzi positive feedback from his clients, but he’s also known to change up his menu quite a bit. There are over 100 items on the menu and it’s not just Middle Eastern cuisine. They have Italian, Mexican and even African Arabic food as well. 

“Other banquet halls throw some chicken and hummus on the table and then call it a day,” he stated. “But I like to constantly change things up. The positive reception has inspired us to continue expanding and topping ourselves with the food year after year.”

Bazzi’s favorite dish in particular is the popular Ozzy, which is rice topped with chunks of lamb and garnished with nuts and parsley. The oven roasted potatoes are another favorite. 

The quality food is perhaps a blessing for Bazzi, because sometimes he is forced to eat it for a month or two straight when the banquet hall is booked day after day. But he doesn’t mind it, because it gives him an opportunity to dine with his employees. 

“I learned something from Henry Ford a long time ago,” Bazzi stated. “He used to sit with his workers back in the day and eat with them,” he added. “That’s how you encourage your employees to work hard for you. Whenever an employee needs help, I’m here for them.”

On a normal day, Bazzi will have a work schedule that starts at 9 a.m. and goes past midnights when the hall is booked. On days when the hall is not booked, he still works from 9 to 5, before he goes home to his wife of almost 20 years and five children, two of which are now in college. 

When he is at work however, he is not doing all of the heavy lifting by himself. On average, Bazzi has about 15 waiters working during every event, depending on the type of function. He also has about 5-6 full time staffers, who all help with booking, setting up and cleaning up the venue before and after events. He also has a full time chef, who is an overseas graduate and has been with the hall since it opened its doors in 2005.

His venue has become such a popular place for weddings that Bazzi practically considers himself a wedding planner now. On wedding nights, he directs the flow and makes sure everything runs smoothly. 

“During the events here at Byblos I personally go to the tables and greet people. I make sure they are taken care of, regardless of what the event is,” Bazzi stated. “I do the best of my ability to surprise them. You empty out the fridge to show hospitality.”

Bazzi also likes to make sure that his clients’ events don’t get too costly. He refers many of them to photographers, florists and dessert places that are willing to give the clients a Byblos referral discount. Bazzi has also given a considerable amount back to the community. Two to three times a year, he donates his hall to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services), where forthcoming immigrants are sworn in and become citizens of the United States. 

“It’s a privilege to be able to host the INS,” Bazzi stated. “It’s the least I can do for our community.”

In 2007, The Arab American News wrote an article about Bazzi after he offered to donate his hall for free of charge to a mother who has looking to give her son battling leukemia a high school graduation party. He’s also been awarded for his excellence by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Detroit Police and the INS for his years of quality service. 

It appears that his good deeds don’t just stop with his banquet hall. Bazzi tells a story of an incident when he put his life at risk to help a stranger whose car had stalled in the middle of interstate 94. 

“Her car stopped right in front of me and I almost hit her,” he stated. “I quickly got out on the sunroof of my car and started waving down traffic and telling them to move to the sides,” he added. “I then got out of my car and helped push her car to the side. She told me that i saved her life.”

It appears that his nickname “Mr. Generous” is no understatement.