Former Boise International Market vendor reopens restaurant

Last September, when he was looking at the fire-gutted remains of the Boise International Market, Salam Bunyan was devastated.

“Everyone lost their dream,” the owner of The Goodness Place restaurant said at the time.

After months of work and community support, Bunyan counts himself among the BIM vendors who got firmly back on their feet.

“I am very excited,” he said. “I work very hard with my family building this place.”

Bunyan is set to reopen The Goodness Land at its new location on 6555 Overland Road noon Saturday. His restaurant serves traditional Arabic food that meets Halal standards.

From 4 to 6 p.m. there will be belly-dancing and a DJ. Throughout the day customers can enjoy a 15 percent discount on all food items, he said.

He had planned to open mid-February, but had to push that back until May to get everything in order, he said.

Over the past several months Bunyan said he received emails, calls and has even been stopped on the street by people wishing him support. The experience left him feeling like the whole community of Boise had his back, he said.

“The people in Idaho are amazing,” he said. “I want to say thank you (to the community) for supporting me.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Former Boise International Market vendor reopens restaurant."