How did you come to the United States?
I came to the United States 10 years ago as an expat spouse, after previously living in Switzerland and India. In 2014, I joined my husband on an international transfer within the company he works for, under an L2 Spouse visa. As is often the case for expatriates arriving in the United States, I’m talking to you right away about immigration papers! Before that, my expatriation began in Switzerland, where I worked in private banking, then in India, where I trained in interior design.
Chow did you come up with the idea of Visit in ?
I explored several professions, some very briefly and others more extensively, such as real estate agent. I learned a lot from contact with American customers. It’s a job that requires complete devotion, which became difficult to reconcile with my role as a mother of twins.
I felt a visceral need to realign myself and return to my passions and my roots. So I turned to Tunisia… The idea really took shape when I realized that, in discussions with Americans, I often had to put the country back on the map.
I then began a long process of work on myself, accompanied by a personal coach and by participating in She for SHE workshops, to define my project and take action. This is how ZOUZ IN was born!
In Tunisian crafts, as in the cottages, it is the women who supply the community with their know-how and their work force.
QWhat is the particularity of Tunisia for the arts of the table and hospitality?
Tunisia is endearing because it is distinguished by unique traditions deeply rooted in its heritage, particularly in tableware and hospitality! The Tunisian people are warm. We always welcome you with hugs, drinks and food! You always have to plan for the extra spoon on your plate, you know, the one that arrives after you said it was enough.
Tunisia is rich with a combination of Arab, Berber, Andalusian and Mediterranean influences. These influences are found in particular in ceramics, especially that of Nabeul, where the local economy depends largely on it. Traditionally, Tunisian dishes are served in terracotta pottery, for example.
In Tunisian crafts, as in the cottages, it is the women who supply the community with their know-how and their work force.
In the same way that they are nurturers in homes, they are also the ones who play an essential role in Tunisian crafts, since they represent more than 80% of the workforce in the craft sectors today.
In the northeast region, in Sejnane for example, there is a group of women potters, whose know-how, passed down from generation to generation, consists of creating terracotta pottery using ancestral ecological techniques. This work was recognized by UNESCO in 2018 as part of Tunisia’s intangible heritage.
In addition to terracotta pottery, olive wood and natural fibers are favored materials in Tunisian crafts. Take the example of olive trees: they contribute to the Tunisian economy in several ways. Olives are used to produce oil, while the pits are used as fuel for wood stoves. Once the tree stops producing, the trunks are used to create beautiful crafts, like the ones you can see on my site. It is this heritage and this sense of sharing that I wish to highlight with ZOUZ IN
The atmosphere and cuisine in the restaurants that I opened with my husband and our partners clearly reflect this Mediterranean joie de vivre.
Is this something that also translates into the two restaurants that you run with your husband?
The ambiance and cuisine in the restaurants I opened with my husband and our partners clearly reflect this Mediterranean joie de vivre. St Tropez Wine Bar shares the idea of savoring small dishes that smell good from the South, while Mino brasserie accompanies revisited classics with a good Italian wine!
How would you define the Tunisian community in New York?
First of all, the Tunisian diaspora in North America numbers around 85,000 individuals, mainly distributed between Montreal, Ottawa and New York!
The community in New York is therefore not very large and remains quite discreet. I am part of several scattered and hushed Facebook groups, but I have not yet found the one that hits the mark… There is perhaps something to be done in this area!
My audience is therefore made up, on the one hand, of the Tunisian and French communities which are very important to me and whose feedback and support I seek; on the other hand, and above all, I seek to interest the American community, eager to discover new Mediterranean products, by highlighting Tunisian know-how, combining heritage and modernism. It represents me well too, personally!
What are your plans for Zouz in?
I am of course working to increase sales in order to expand the product line and bring some of that Tunisian warmth into American homes (I’m not saying they lack it, mind you ha). As a creative person, I always have lots of great ideas in my head and in my sketchbook 🙂
And if I allow myself to dream bigger, I would like to launch several other product lines, particularly in the gourmet sector, like the true epicurean that I am! I even dream of opening a café-store.
[J’y pense sérieusement, ça vous surprend? Affaire à suivre… et peut-être qu’une levée de fonds sera nécessaire pour y arriver!]
