The Falafel Man

When it opened back in 1998, it was a new concept and, 15 years on, The Falafel Man in Prahran Market shows no signs of slowing down. Austen Kent, who opened the shop with his Moroccan-born late father Paul, will celebrate 15 years of operation at the end of this month. Kent, it will come as no surprise to learn, isn't a Moroccan name. The closest translation of the family's original surname was ''Chen'', which caused confusion, so they changed it to Kent. "Where we come from, falafels are a staple, vendor fast food," Kent says. "We were bringing a bit of 'home' to Australia." Kent says he "helped dad at the start" and the business grew from there, with the sale of 1.8 million falafels so far.

Hilary McNevin