For Chef Shoaib, the restaurant industry was not a planned destination, but a path shaped by necessity, family, and persistence. As the founder and operator of Murray’s in a Hurry, a restaurant serving American and Pakistani cuisine, his story reflects resilience and a deep commitment to hospitality.
When Chef Shoaib came to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan, his original career path was in technology. “I came to America as a computer programmer,” he explains. While attending university, he began working in restaurants to support himself, starting at Steak ’n Shake. Over time, he learned the industry from the ground up, becoming drawn not just to the work, but to the people and the rhythm of restaurant life. Eventually, he shifted careers entirely.
After moving to the U.S., one of the biggest adjustments was missing food from home. “A lot of Pakistani dishes,” he says, mentioning foods like nihari and traditional breads. Those flavors stayed with him, shaping how he thought about food and what he wanted to share with others. Cooking became a way to hold onto culture while adapting to life in a new place.
Family played a central role in the creation of Murray’s in a Hurry. Chef Shoaib explains that his brother originally ran the restaurant and later asked him to take over its management. “He told me to step in and take care of the business,” he says. Although he had some experience, much of what he learned came from running the restaurant day by day. Over time, he developed many of the menu items himself, including the sandwiches and pizza that became staples for customers.
Freshness and care are core to how the restaurant operates. “We bake fresh bread by the order,” Chef Shoaib explains. Ingredients are never frozen, and food is prepared fresh each day. “We don’t freeze it and cook it and freeze it again,” he says, emphasizing the standards he believes set the restaurant apart and keep people coming back.
Chef Shoaib takes pride in the restaurant’s longevity. “We still survived the pandemic,” he says, noting that many businesses were forced to close during that time. Murray’s in a Hurry has customers who have been returning since the early 1990s. “We have regular customers since 1992,” he explains, describing loyalty built over decades through consistency, care, and service.
When reflecting on what the restaurant business has taught him, Chef Shoaib keeps it simple. “Just be nice to people,” he says. For him, kindness, cleanliness, and genuine care matter as much as the food itself. Through long hours, hard work, and dedication, Murray’s in a Hurry has become more than a restaurant. It is a place where fresh food, welcoming service, and community come together.
Chef Shoaib’s story reflects the heart of Restaurant Voices, showing how immigrant-owned restaurants are sustained through family, resilience, and everyday acts of care that build lasting community.
