Half-Century Club: champion of longevity, Tripoli has been on Atlantic Avenue since the 1970s

This month, the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) paid tribute to a successful restaurant that has thrived for 52 years on the avenue. Opened 52 years ago by owner Mohamad Salem, he named the restaurant after his home city, Tripoli, in the north of Lebanon.

Originally a furniture designer and wood carver, Mohamad opened the restaurant in 1972 as a way to bring homemade Lebanese dishes to the Middle Eastern community of Atlantic Avenue. He reflected on the corridor back in the 1970s, describing it as the first community of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian and Yemeni people in the country, with many moving from Washington Street in the nearly-extinct neighborhood of the Lower West Side of Manhattan. 

“This avenue was the center for Middle Eastern food in the whole country. These businesses also did wholesale for other communities in the United States. They used to come to shop here to sell products in their own locations far away,” said Mohamad.

Tripoli originally occupied the western corner of Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street, where Mohammed used his design skills to make the interior look like a tent, and the space even had waterfalls inside. Given the nature of the unique interior, there was much anticipation from the community, and Tripoli served 111 customers on their opening night. 

“The next day, we had people in a line around the corner,” said Mohamad.

Tripoli generated a lot of buzz and became a destination for an eclectic clientele, like international scholars and students, and was host to prominent political figures and celebrities, including former mayor Ed Koch, for whom Tripoli was a notable favorite.

The restaurant moved to its current location in 1982 after a devastating fire, but Mohamad once again created an incredible interior that made guests feel like they were far at sea on board a ship. Today, this space is occupied by the Swallow Cafe, but one can…