Nestled in the heart of Achrafieh, the historical Saraska, also known as Sursock, bears the name of one of Beirut’s most prominent families. Founder of Blatt Chaya, Edgard Chaya recounts his days working in an exchange shop in the Sursock Souk at the age of 16. Over 70 years later, he still clearly remembers that, through his cold weather-induced hiccups as he ran the shop’s errands for extremely little pay, he promised himself he would one day buy this very shop. And he indeed did, eventually even becoming exchange president and earning himself a life-long title.