Simi Center, the neighborhood commercial center where the show Anashim Shepagashti (People I've Met) takes place, doesn't actually exist. But anyone who grew up in Beersheba will recognize it instantly: Small shops, business owners everyone knows, and an entire neighborhood passing through the central plaza. The show, created by Matan Halak, Aviram Buchris, Omri Amit, and Adar Meirom, is based on Halak's bestseller People I Met in My Imagination. The first season finale aired on Kan 11 and Kan BOX on Sunday, November 8. Since its launch, the series has accumulated over 4.6 million views across Kan's platforms.
If the series sparked your curiosity about Beersheba's commercial centers, here are a few real places worth knowing.
Pinat Ohel (Food corner): The students' sandwich shop
In the commercial center on Ringelblum Street in Quarter D, near the university, operates Pinat Ochel, a sandwich shop that has become a regular student hangout in recent years. The sandwiches are huge and loaded with meat and cured meats seared on the flat-top grill. The bread is toasted until crispy and spread with unconventional spreads, such as beet and raspberry, cucumber and garlic, or peach with whiskey.
- Location: 15 Ringelblum St.
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 12:00–23:00; Friday, 11:00–14:30.
Hatzrif (The shack): Sit down with a laptop
In the same neighborhood operates Hatzrif, a dairy and vegetarian cafe-restaurant with a relaxed student vibe. The menu relies on fresh vegetables and ingredients, and many come here to study or work.
- Location: 70 Yosef Ben Mattityahu St.
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 08:30–17:00; Friday, 08:30–14:00.
Bialik Bar-Cafe: Coffee in the morning, bar at night
In the Hen Commercial Center in Quarter B operates Bialik Bar-Cafe, a spot that changes its identity throughout the day. In the morning, it's a quiet cafe where students work on laptops, and in the evening, it turns into a neighborhood bar hosting small live shows. The place is closely identified with the local community and the city's LGBTQ+ community, offering plenty of vegan dishes on the menu. Its most famous dish is the pancakes.
- Location: 26 Bialik St., Beersheba.
Rimona: The youth-run cafe
In a small, lesser-known commercial center in Quarter D, Rimona opened about a year and a half ago - a cafe and shop operated by local youth. Established as part of KKL-JNF's Plant Together initiative, it is run by the Rimon Farm NGO in collaboration with the Beersheba Municipality. The teenagers cook, bake, and host. The menu features seasonal sandwiches based on produce from local farmers and producers - such as a sandwich with grape leaf dip and Jibneh cheese from the Wadi Attir farm, or butternut squash, Barkanit Saint Maure cheese, and hot honey. You can also buy house-baked breads, cakes, cheeses, and other local products.
- Location: 14 Alexander Yannai St.
- Hours: Monday–Friday.
Rooster: 80s chicken returns
When Guy Abergel was a kid in the 80s and 90s, families in Beersheba used to buy whole rotisserie chicken with sides at the "Picanti" supermarket - a complete lunch for the whole family. The trend faded over the years, until Abergel brought it back in 2019 by opening "Rooster" near Gate 90 of Ben-Gurion University. Since then, similar spots have opened across the city. The place is especially popular among athletes - including soccer and basketball players from Hapoel Beersheba - and fitness trainers looking for a protein-rich meal. The menu includes shredded rotisserie chicken (whole, half, or quarter), schnitzel, chicken salad, rotisserie potatoes, and salads. Kosher.
- Location: 70 Yosef Ben Mattityahu St.
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 11:30–16:00, or until sold out.