Restaurants packed at night in Dearborn during Ramadan

Owners extend hours, bring in more staff later at night to handle dinner rush

DEARBORN, Mich. – Over the past few weeks during the day in Dearborn, the streets are unusually quiet and many businesses don't even open. But when the sun sets, that all changes.

It's a result of the observance of Ramadan, which restricts Muslims from eating or drinking from sun up to sun down.

It was pretty quiet for a Saturday evening in Dearborn. There wasn't as much traffic and the restaurants were slow.

With the dinner rush pushed back during Ramadan, some restaurants in Dearborn are extending their hours and bringing in more staff later at night.

Owners aren't losing money. They're just making it up at a different time.

By 9 p.m., there's a lineup at the drive-thru at Cedarland and inside it's even busier -- every table is seated and the servers try to get meals out as quickly as the cooks can make them. One family came from Windsor to break their fast.

As soon as families are finished, the dishes are removed, in many cases, not before new guests have taken their seat at the table.

When you've been fasting all day, you want your order in as fast as possible, but like any popular restaurant during peak hours, be prepared for a wait.


About the Author:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism