Everett Mall corn kiosk grew from a kernel of an idea

Corn in a cup.

Not on the cob. In a paper cup with a plastic spoon.

That’s the menu at Tamara Corn, a kiosk in the Everett Mall food court that opened on April 1.

It only sells corn. No fooling.

No peas. No carrots. No beans.

Corn.

It’s a novelty here, but an Iraqi family is changing that, one cup of corn at a time. They hope to soon open a second corn stand in Alderwood mall.

“In our country, and Middle East countries, all the malls they have this system,” corn-trepreneur Wafaa Jabbar said. “When I came here I ask, ‘Where is the corn?’ They say, ‘Never have corn here.’ I say, ‘Why?’ ”

It is a tradition in many cultures. McDonald’s restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore sell cups of corn. Mexican corn cups with mayonnaise are popular. For some reason, Americans have kept it on the cob for snacks.

That’s what this is. A snack. A 12-ounce cup is $3.50, tax included.

Wafaa and her husband, Amer Albaytari, named the corn stand after their 18-year-old daughter Tamara Albaytari.

The family moved to Everett a year ago. They fled Iraq 15 years ago and lived in Qatar before coming here so Tamara and her twin brother, Tamar, could get an American college education.

“We left everything there looking for a future for them,” Wafaa said. “I was a physical education teacher. My husband was a professional volleyball coach.” Before that, he played on the Iraqi national volleyball team.

The couple’s academic certificates didn’t transfer here. They never dreamed corn would be their pot of gold.

“We used to make this at home,” Tamara said. “A friend of ours came to our house and we said, ‘Try this snack.’ He tried it. He said, ‘Why don’t you open a business like that?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, that’s not going to work. No way.’ Then we started to think about it seriously, why not?”

This was bold move in this land of choices aplenty. They set up shop in a vendor cart in the middle of the food court within steps from 31 flavors of ice cream and a dozen pizza topping options.

Diners at the corn kiosk have two corn choices: Spicy or not spicy.

There are two pressure steamers, a jar of butter, some seasonings and a small freezer with bags of frozen corn. Bright signs with smiling corn ears are the main clue of what’s inside those pots.

Still, it takes some explaining.

“People asked me, ‘What is this, just corn?’ ” Wafaa said.

“We did a lot of samples,” Tamara said. “When they try it they go, ‘We need this.’ ”

From the steamer, the kernels are mixed in a bowl with white cheese, yellow cheese, lemon juice, garlic, butter, salt and pepper.

Some customers try it at home.

“They say, ‘We can’t do it like you,’” Wafaa said. “They say, ‘We make it, but it’s not delicious like yours.’ I say, ‘A secret.’ ”

That’s right. Just like the chicken colonel, there’s an undisclosed ingredient.

Kyle Ventler, a mall worker at a vape kiosk, is hooked.

“It’s a nice simple treat that satisfies your sweet craving and fills you up,” he said. “It has a very unique flavor to it. I hadn’t seen anything like it. I love corn. I’ve had very good corn on the cob, but it doesn’t compare with this.”

The corn kiosk led to another venture for the family. They recently opened another food court restaurant, Babylon Mediterranean, with a wide menu of choices such as kebab, falafel, hummus, shawarma, rice and gyros.

No corn. You gotta go to the corn stand for that.

Send What’s Up With That? suggestions to Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown. Read more What’s Up With That? at www.heraldnet.com/whatsup.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.