San Antonio’s most popular spot to grab Moroccan cuisine, Moroccan Bites Tagine, is taking a break from serving up hearty halal dishes on Evers Road to mourn the passing of its beloved founder.
On Thursday, June 11, Moroccan Bites shared a heart-wrenching post on Facebook to let customers know that Latifa Ghafai, who founded the restaurant in 2009, had died earlier in the day, leading the family to close the restaurant for the time being.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved founder, Ghafai Latifa, on June 11, 2026. Her family is currently taking this time to grieve, reflect, and celebrate her extraordinary life,” the business wrote in the post.
Moroccan Bites got its start in San Antonio after the El Maroudi family survived Hurricane Katrina and relocated to San Antonio. As the story goes, Ghafai was missing the Moroccan way of life, so she found a small space to open a restaurant with her two daughters, Nadia and Wafa El Maroudi. In the 17 years since, Moroccan Bites has established itself as the preeminent place to get traditional Moroccan food in San Antonio, which has landed it a few television appearances, including two features on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives…