Kurdish fish restaurant bears U.S. President-elect’s name

Global Business

Kurdish fish restaurant bears U.S. President-elect's name

Just an hour’s drive from the Iraqi government’s fight to retake Mosul from ISIL – the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan has enjoyed relative peace and economic success.

Now the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. is giving some Kurds even more reason to cheer as he’s promised to boost support for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

And one businessman is banking on the Trump name to help him sell fried fish.

CCTV’s Paul Barber explains.

Trump Tower is in Mid-Town Manhattan, Mar-a-Lago resort is in Florida, The Old Post Office Hotel in Washington, DC. And Trump Fish is in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Nedyar Zawity’s restaurant seems a world away from the glamour of those other properties bearing the name of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. But he’s hoping the multi-millionaire’s brand will rub off on this humble eatery.

Trump Fish opened in the Kurdish city of Duhok just a couple of weeks ago. It serves only one dish called masgouf – grilled carp seasoned with olive oil, pepper, lemon and spices. Many consider it Iraq’s national dish.

Some locals aren’t too happy about the restaurant being named for a politician who’s threatened to stop Muslims from entering the U.S. But Zawity thinks people will approve of the new U.S. leader – if he makes good on promises to help Kurdish Peshmerga fighters – a key U.S. ally in the war against ISIL.

Whether Donald Trump is happy to see his brand benefitting another businessman is another matter.