Moroccan returning from abroad burdened by obstacles to organic restaurant project in Casablanca

Ya Biladi

4 days ago

After 24 years living abroad, Moroccan expatriate Hanane Sanoussi returned from France to her home country with an investment project she hopes will serve the community and contribute to the local economy. A professor and head of a digital innovation lab, Sanoussi decided, in partnership with her brother, to launch a chain of organic, inclusive, and socially minded restaurants primarily aimed at people with metabolic diseases.
The project, she told Yabiladi, will run «exclusively on electricity, respecting environmental and health standards as well as quiet hours». She added that it had been «planned with care», with the expectation of creating around ten jobs at launch. The first branch is set to open in the Racine district of Casablanca, on Abdelatif Benkaddour Street.
But the project's start did not go as planned. Just days after receiving her work permit, a copy of which Yabiladi has seen, Sanoussi says she was surprised when, on August 5, a committee composed of representatives from the municipality, urban planning, local authorities, and civil protection arrived without prior notice or an official mission order. She says the committee «only inspected and observed, ignoring the documents I had with me, before leaving».
«I received a late-night call from the sheikh (a local authority representative) telling me that the Caid (District chief) would come in the morning to inspect the site and asking me to open the premises for her», she recounted. «But when I arrived, I was met by the committee, without any official request and without being allowed to have my project's architect present to explain the situation».
An uncompromising administration
Two days later, Sanoussi received a formal notice, also seen by Yabiladi, ordering her to halt all work immediately, citing an alleged violation involving an interior bench placed 40 cm from its intended location and a change to the facade. «The work had not even started yet», she said, presenting supporting documents, including a notary-certified inspection report, dated photographs, and a cadastral map.
«I refused to sign the notice that ordered me to stop work without any grace period or alternative proposal. I truly felt humiliated», she shared.
She says she went to the Casablanca Prefecture with all her documents and evidence, but was sent away without a solution and told again to stop work, despite having a lease that covers «all commercial activities» and a building permit signed by all relevant parties. According to Sanoussi, the committee's objection is based on a discrepancy in the shop's facade as shown in the 2016 urban development plan prepared by the property developer. However, she insists the facade was never built according to that plan from the start.
«I have proof that the facade has never been altered, neither since the owner purchased the property nor since I began working on it. But I was not able to present this evidence; I could not find anyone willing to listen to me», she said.
She adds that the committee did not propose any modification or alternative solution, merely insisting she stop the work. She says she only learned she needed to file a modification request after her own research, a step her architect has since taken, with the file still under review.
Opposition from the neighbors
Sanoussi believes the delays are linked to opposition from neighbors. She claims the head of the owners' association told her no restaurant activity would be allowed in the building and even sent her a text message stating he had taken steps to block any such project. She says she has not received any formal notification to that effect.
«I am just one of many Moroccans abroad who came back with good intentions and a desire to invest, but I have found myself facing obstacles I do not know how to navigate», she said.
Yabiladi also contacted the head of the building's owners' association, who shared his version of events: «No decision has been made yet. We submitted a letter to the authorities, but it is not up to us, the committee is the one authorized to make the final decision».
He added that all residents oppose having a restaurant under their building: «We live in a closed alley with no parking spaces. Ground-floor residents will be in a difficult situation because the premises are small and have no gas outlet. Even if it runs on electricity, there will still be smells because there is no ventilation system».
«From the start, the space was intended for a bookstore, a pharmacy, or a small retail shop. Setting up a restaurant here would be very complicated for the neighborhood. In any case, we are against it», he said.
This position contradicts the building's co-ownership regulations, reviewed by Yabiladi, which state the premises are for commercial use without specifying the type of business or imposing any exceptions. The lease signed between Hanane Sanoussi and the property owner, a copy of which was also obtained by Yabiladi, clearly states the premises can be used for all food-related commercial activities, including cafés, restaurants, bakeries, and ice cream shops.
Yabiladi attempted to contact the relevant authorities to get their side of the story and to clarify the reasons for the immediate halt order, but to no avail.