Friends,
This not a topic that I wanted to discuss publicly before, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it is something that needs to go on the record.
For the past 11 years, I've been mired in an ugly inheritance case for my father’s estate. Between my dad’s ambitions, his dream of the company continuing for generations afterwards, and the incompetence of the five lawyers who tackled the paperwork, I found myself forced to take over and represent myself just to bring some form of closure.
There is nothing to be gained financially, only some semblance of peace of mind. And this has taken too much time, too much energy and too much focus from me, and it's deprived me of the ability to dedicate myself fully to Dervish Kitchen.
(The picture on the top left is the evidence package I compiled for the court at the beginning of the year. Around 145 pages in total)
But the more I struggle to close my father's estate and tie the loose ends, the more I realise that I’d made the right choice when I decided that Dervish Kitchen will end with me.
I don't want my son to have to deal with what I've dealt with. People may dream of Dervish Kitchen continuing in some shape or form, an upgrade to fine dining or a franchise. Someone taking the recipes and keeping the business alive, but it wouldn’t be fair to my son.
This is not his dream. It’s not his talent.
This is not something he can do with joy, and Dervish Kitchen has always been about joy.
And so I think we need to understand that, as far as Dervish Kitchen is concerned, we have to enjoy the present moment.
When my strength fails me or when I finally leave the world, only the memories of the food and the conversations will remain.
But Dervish Kitchen eventually has to go.
And I have no bitterness about this. It's the fair thing to do for my kid's sake, because I don't think there is anything crueler than having to spend years tackling your parent’s legacy.
Please understand that this post is not meant to scare you or cause alarm. I’m not hiding bad news from you. I just want us to be on the same page:
Dervish kitchen is ephemeral by design.
Do what you will with this information. For me: I’m at peace with my decision.
Feeding you has been a pleasure and an honor and I’ll continue to do that for as long as I can. This is a promise.
But Adam will get to be Adam.
That’s my promise to my son.
With my love and eternal gratitude 💞
Landa