Buba Khotoveli Sets A Table For Success

From the September/October 1989 Brighton Beach Bulletin

Buba and his two sons show off one of their favorite dishes Lamb Shish Kebab at Primorski Restaurant.

    Two young children play by their mother as Buba Khotoveli takes care of his customers.  The aroma of Russian Patties and Shish Kebab fills the air and Russian gentlemen sip potent vodka.  Buba is proud of his restaurant, Primorski, at 282 Brighton Beach Avenue and is hopeful for his business and neighborhood.

    Buba, 49, was born one of three children in Soviet Georgia in the city of Kutaisi.  There - the husky, solidly built man grew up to be boxer.  He lived in the cities of Rega and then Odessa for 10 - years before his entire family left in the great Jewish emigration to Israel.  "It was very easy at that time and it seemed like the thing to do," he said.

    His parents and family stayed in Israel, but "I didn't like the hot weather," so he went on to Italy and then to America in search of a new life.

    He arrived in Michigan, where he worked two jobs - one as a restaurant worker and the other as a cutter in a car factory.  He worked hard in Michigan, learned English quickly and after two years of hard work and saving money, he moved to New York City.

    At first, he worked as a sheepskin cutter and then, after six months, he opened a restaurant in Queens - then one in Manhattan.  In 1980, he sold both restaurants and opened Primorski.  At the same time that he arrived in New York, he met his wife Jane, who was living on Ocean Avenue and there they stayed to this day.

    Since then, he had three children - Ruth, 17; Jacob, 9; and Michael, 4.  He has found that Brighton Beach is where he wants to continue to do business because, "I have a lot of friends here that I knew in Odessa.  I can see and talk to people and everybody knows me.  It is like one big family."

    Unfortunately, Buba worries about ongoing crime problems that plague the area.  He says he stays late at night in his restaurant and there is a big problem with crime and drug dealing in the area.

    However, he said there are also many police officers patrolling and he said they work very hard to improve the situation.

    "If they keep going at it, maybe it will get better.  Two years ago, it was nice and quiet here.  But then bad people started coming here.  I have hope that it will get better."  Buba of Primorski plans to stay.