From Or Yehuda to Tel Aviv: The Phenomenon of Oved BaKfar Grill
Oved BaKfar, the legendary skewer joint from Or Yehuda, has opened a new branch in Tel Aviv. Founded by Oved Shekori, the culinary empire achieved massive organic success without PR.
The endless queues and the unmistakable aroma drifting through the air leave no room for doubt: the culinary phenomenon known as "Oved BaKfar" has officially arrived in Tel Aviv. What began as a modest skewer joint in Or Yehuda has evolved into a major cultural and gastronomic sensation over recent years. Actors, politicians, models, and young people from across the country flock to the tables every evening, photographing every skewer and sharing it on social media, where waiting in line has become part of the experience.
At the heart of this whirlwind is Oved Shekori. Despite his overwhelming success, Shekori has famously never given a media interview, preferring action, the grill, and direct contact with people. When he arrived at his new restaurant in Tel Aviv, the hostess did not even recognize him at first. "Sorry, you can't enter, you need to make a reservation," she told him. Shekori, with his characteristic modesty, did not argue. "She didn't know me," he laughs. "Today, people ask me dozens of times a day if I am really Oved from the village."
Organic Success Without PR
When asked about the secret to his success, Shekori does not talk about secret spices or grilling techniques. For him, everything begins and ends with family. "When you say Oved BaKfar, it doesn't mean working alone," he explains. "It means working with my children and my wife. We are like an elite commando unit when we go to work, and we do it out of love. I have amazing children and an amazing wife, and we are all fully invested in the business."
The phenomenal success of Oved BaKfar is an anomaly in the Israeli landscape. Without a public relations firm, paid campaigns, or even a managed Instagram page, the establishment has grown into an empire. Publicity is entirely organic, driven by word of mouth and customer social media posts. The pinnacle arrived when singer Odia dedicated a song bearing the restaurant's name to him. "I was alone in the restaurant in Or Yehuda and heard it with tears in my eyes," Shekori shares. "I cried. I am a very emotional man."
From Landscaping to the Grill
Today, 63-year-old Shekori has spent three decades in the food industry, but his path to the summit was far from smooth. He is the son of a well-known butcher family from Or Yehuda, but he initially started his professional career as a landscaping contractor, which ended in a crushing failure. A close friend, the late Meir Eida, changed his trajectory by telling him to build something that would generate income, noting that people loved him.
That advice proved to be exceptionally accurate. The small shack transformed into an institution, and that institution is now opening a second branch in Tel Aviv. The menu remains faithful to the core: classic Israeli table starters with hummus, chips, freshly baked Iraqi lafah bread from a taboon oven, and 18 types of fresh salads. The most talked-about dish is the famous sweet potato salad, but the crown jewel remains the meat grilled over a massive charcoal pit.
Despite his new status as a culinary icon, Shekori refuses to get carried away. "Listen, I'm a street kid, a street cat from Or Yehuda," he concludes. "I love the people there, I love the everyday folk, I love everyone. I never thought I would become such a phenomenon, it's bigger than us. I only say thank you very much."
