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The Greenwich 17-year-old and his parents run Argana, a Moroccan restaurant at 325 North Main Street in Port Chester that opened in March.
"We service Moroccan food with an American twist," Achbami said. "We don't want to overwhelm people with Moroccan spices."
Food runs in the family. Achbami's mother, Mia, loves to cook and is always getting complimented on her food while his father, Nordine has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years, running restaurants in Greenwich.
"My mother's recipes are timeless and eloquent," Achbami said.
When eating Moroccan food, Achbami said patrons feel a sense of euphoria, whether it be from dishes like chicken tajine or lamb shank couscous.
"It's a whole new experience for people," Achbami said. "We've been getting a lot of repeat customers. I love seeing the expression on people's faces. It makes me feel proud of what my family does."
Starting a restaurant in a competitive market like Port Chester means Argana always has to keep pushing itself.
"Each restaurant is always improving and we have to maintain that level of improvement," Achbami said. "We're always trying to better ourselves."
So far, Achbami said he has been able to balance running a restaurant while attending Greenwich High School. He said he hopes to become a doctor and study neurology.
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