A steady stream of customers, the smell of freshly marinated meat and a warm smile behind the counter. Anyone who steps inside Butchery Argana in Flushing, enters a world where craft, hospitality and culture go hand in hand. Father Mimoun El Gartit and son Mohammed, affectionately called "Mo" by regular customers, have been running a butcher shop here since 2008 that is impossible to imagine the neighborhood without.

From carpenter to butcher

Mimoun began his career as a carpenter, but decided to change course in 2007. "Entrepreneurship gave me freedom and the chance to follow my passion," he says. What began in a small building on Hobein Street grew into a household name on Schelde Street. Soon, son Mohammed stepped into the family business. "My father laid a strong foundation," he says proudly. "I grew up among the meat, the customers and the stories. Now I get to build on that, together with him and my little brother Isam."

Artisanal and authentic

Butcher shop Argana is a real butcher shop. No pre-packaged meat, but large cuts that are processed and seasoned on the spot. "We do everything ourselves here," Mohammed explains. "From boning to making our famous merguez sausages. That craft, that's where our strength lies."

The specialties? Tender steak, seasoned chicken products and, of course, the homemade merguez. "We also supply our chicken as wholesale to customers in France. But our base is here, in Flushing."