No one escapes fate, whether hidden or apparent, in serene or harsh phases

“And we will all return to the place we belong”

My name is Nabil Kammouni, and I am an immigrant in Brazil. I was born in a village called Karoun, in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, on August 26, 1982. My parents were teachers, and my father was also a butcher. I take pride in being a part of the fourth generation of butchers in my family. I have a brother who manages my father's butcher shop in Lebanon and a sister who lives in the United States

But you must be wondering, how did Nabil end up in Brazil?

Trying to escape fate, even though knowing that no one can escape it…

Guided by a heart full of dreams and a resilient and courageous soul, I challenged all my limits to pursue my dreams and escape the traumas of the past.

When I was a child, I endured many forms of prejudice and bullying because of my family's profession; I was bullied for being the son of a butcher. Prejudice made my heart resilient and averse to the activity that had been taught in my family for so many years. I had several conflicts with my father because of this. Trying to escape the memories and fears, I boarded a plane on July 1, 2003, bound for Brazil.

I left my family and set off with no money. To be honest, I embarked for Brazil with $184 in my pocket, which my father had given me. I left with no guarantees, without mastering the language, without a place to stay, heading into the unknown.

And, on July 2, 2003, I already began working in Foz do Iguaçu as an employee at an optical store.

Three years later, I migrated to Paraguay, where I worked as a street vendor in the streets of Ciudad del Este, selling cameras. I would buy the cameras in stores, put them in a black bag, and spend the day selling them on the streets. I earned about $1.00 for each camera sold, and if I made $2.00, I would jump for joy. I carried a large cardboard box filled with cameras on my back, and if I sold them all, I could earn up to $10.00. During this period, I lived in a warehouse. In those years, I suffered, went hungry, worked day and night, escaping my past and building my future.

I was happy, but in 2007, the winds of destiny unexpectedly blew, and I suffered a great loss: my father passed away. We hadn't seen or spoken to each other since I left for Brazil. However, a son must honor his parents, so I embarked for Lebanon. There, I mourned my father's death and laid him to rest. The last memory I had of my father was when he took me to the airport when I left for Brazil. He said goodbye to me there, and after that, we only met again at his funeral. It was a very sad moment.

Until one day, destiny once again challenged me and brought difficult times. My mother was diagnosed with cancer in late 2011. When I heard this news, I didn't hesitate; I returned to Lebanon. In 2012, I devoted myself exclusively to taking care of my mother. I didn't work during her treatment for the illness.

When the doctor said my mother was cured, I returned to Paraguay. It was already late 2012, and I was even in debt for the plane ticket because I hadn't worked during that year. In Paraguay, I managed to find a job as a tire salesman and worked in that position for a year and a half until I paid off all my debts. In August 2014, with my debts settled, I resigned from my job, thanking my employer for everything and informing him that I was considering returning to Lebanon to work with my brother in my father's butcher shop.

A week before the date of my departure to Lebanon, destiny breathed life into a spark that still burned in my heart. I received a call informing me about a butcher shop that was for sale in Foz do Iguaçu, which could be a good business opportunity.

On my way to a friend's house to borrow money for a plane ticket, torn between returning to Lebanon or buying the butcher shop in Foz do Iguaçu, I engaged in an internal struggle between reason and emotion.

At that moment, I remembered my father and one of the last arguments we had about the butcher shop. On that day, my father cried and said, "Son, as long as my heart is beating, I, as your father, will teach you the butcher's profession. And one day, when you are alone, without direction, without work, on that day, you will remember me as your father, and you will work in the butcher's trade with dignity and honor”.

At that moment, I changed my course of action, and instead of buying a plane ticket back to Lebanon, I took out a financial loan and purchased the butcher shop located on a corner in downtown Foz do Iguaçu. It was a small establishment, measuring 90 square meters, and in fact, this butcher shop is just 50 meters from where we are today, Açouguezinho da Esquina.

On December 5, 2014, at 9 o'clock in the morning, I entered the butcher shop. I was very sad, with a sense of defeat, because I didn't understand why I was there, in the profession I had rejected so vehemently. A few minutes later, the phone rang; it was 9:20, and I answered the first call at Açouguezinho. A customer says:

• Hello! Have you opened yet?

And I said:

• Yes, we’re open. 

That was my first meat sale. The customer's name is Simara; I sold her 33 kilograms of meat. It was the first money that went into my cash register.

Folks, from 9:00 to 9:20 that day, I was in sadness. In those 20 minutes, I felt defeated, reliving all the suffering of the past 10 years since I came to Brazil. I had dreams of becoming rich, creating a clothing brand or a luxury eyewear label, becoming a successful entrepreneur. But there I was, at that moment, in a profession I didn't want, everything I had rejected. However, when I answered Simara's call and made the first sale, I began to smell success at Açouguezinho da Esquina. I no longer smelled the grease that the kids in Lebanon used to say I had because of the butcher shop. Now, I'm here with the brand wich I am the proudest of, the Fino Corte brand.

That first sale was enough to pay the bills and to bring the motivation I needed at that moment in my life. I began to fight day after day against my childhood traumas. I sought redemption and started to view the profession that belonged to my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as my destiny.

Açouguezinho da Esquina proved to be small only in name and space; it was 90 square meters. In all other aspects, it was a "biggie butcher" because I delivered the highest quality meats in the region. I brought the best cattle breeds and the most expensive ones to the butcher shop. I sold pieces of wagyu picanha that cost around R$3,000.00. Açouguezinho da Esquina grew, and we had lines at the butcher shop to buy meats and the sandwiches I served. In three years of work, I needed to expand my space to serve customers, so I rented a place to serve the rib sandwich. The success of the sandwich was so great that I named it "The Famous." Customers lined up to buy "The Famous," and once again, thinking of our clientele, I gathered the courage to understand that I needed to grow and move beyond Açouguezinho da Esquina.

Unfortunately, during that time, my mother fell ill again, and I went to Lebanon to be with her. In my arms, before she passed away, my mother said, "I will die worried because I know you, you are brave, and your steps are big." I promised her, "You can rest in peace, my mother; I won't disappoint you." My mother passed away, I paid my respects, bid her farewell, and returned to Brazil with the mission of making my parents proud and honoring everything they taught me.

I would sleep and wake up planning, working, organizing, and dedicating my entire life to my butcher shop and restaurant. My mission was to deliver promptly, with skill and sophistication, the cut of meat that each customer deserved and expected to receive.

And so, my work began to be recognized, and I had to expand my small corner butcher shop into the Fino Corte butcher shop and restaurant. On April 10, 2018, I inaugurated the new, still modest, facilities of Fino Corte. God and a lush tree, which was already here when I arrived, bore witness that hard work, effort, dreams, and courage can turn a challenge into reality.

Fino Corte Butcher Shop and Restaurant never stopped growing. The experience we offer here is designed to provide each customer with more than just food; we offer a culinary memory. And once again, the scene repeats itself, but on an even larger scale. Fino Corte had to undergo another renovation to serve you with quality. Every customer who left without being served due to lack of space was a defeat for me. The waiting lines were bothering me. To address this, exactly 5 years after the first renovation, we broke down the walls again and transformed the restaurant into a cozier place, as you can see here and now.

I want to tell you that for 10 years of my life, my decisions were guided by fear. I wasn't proactive; on the contrary, I waited for opportunities to come to me. It was only when I decided to make my decisions with courage and not wait for opportunities but create them, that the course of my life changed. The courage even to be who I am.

And I, a boy who left his country to escape his destiny, found in courage the actions to put into practice all the knowledge I had and create opportunities to transform my own life and impact the lives of the people around me.

Now, I am an immigrant in distant lands who takes pride in saying that I am part of the 4th generation of Lebanese butchers, one who knows the fine art of meat cutting and skillfully serves more than just food, but culinary memories. I sell more than cuts of meat; I sell an experience, and I share more than stories; I share my life!

In my life, from my previous professions to my current role as a butcher, I have always seen money as a consequence, not as the primary goal. Because when we love what we do, no matter how tiring it may be, work becomes a passion. All the fears and turbulence I've experienced have transformed into a driving force, fueling even more passion for everything I do. I wake up early, stay up late, feel tired, but even so, I am passionate. From the experiences in my own life, my affirmation was born: "We do it because we love it!" If you are here today, it's because I believed and still believe in that!

But now, Nabil, what's the next destination?

My dream is to honor and keep the memory of my parents alive. And in doing so, to encourage all those who are held back by fear to move forward and summon the courage to create opportunities. I want to inspire people all around the world to fight and have the courage to pursue their dreams, no matter how big they may be. Don't stay in the shadow of fear; dispel the shadow of fear by being your own light. Don't give up!

In my heart, I hold love and gratitude for three nations: Lebanon, Brazil, and Paraguay. From this borderless love, I want the Fino Corte brand to reach every corner and, in doing so, conquer the world!

We do it because we love it!

Nabil Kammouni

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