About
Zahle Bakery
Welcome to Zahle Bakery, where and Lebanese culinary traditions come to life. Every recipe is crafted fresh and made to order, using only the finest organic ingredients—free from GMOs, preservatives, or additives. We believe in authenticity, honoring the rich flavors passed down through generations while bringing them to tables across the world. My brothers Elias and George still run the bakery, carrying forward my father’s legacy. You can visit them on Instagram and experience the wholesome flavors that continue to bring people together.
Our Heritage
Growing up in Zahle, Lebanon, I was immersed in a culture where families and neighbors gathered for every festivity, from Christmas and Easter to saints’ feasts. In our small town, tradition was everything, and at the heart of it all was my father’s bakery, @forn_abou_elias
Our Bakery
Founded in 1962, Forn Abou Elias became a cornerstone of our community. It was a true family affair—we all worked alongside my father, crafting bread, zaatar mushtah, cheese pies, urban, and kaak. Soon, word spread beyond Zahle, and people from all over Lebanon came to enjoy our famous baked goods.
A Lifelong Love for Food
Though I moved to the USA in 1985, my passion for Lebanese food remained strong. I didn’t have a bakery, but I shared the same delicious meals with friends and family at special gatherings. Over the years, they encouraged me to start my own bakery, but I always saw myself as an engineer rather than a baker. That changed in the summer of 2022, when my wife unknowingly reignited my love for baking.
On a scorching Texas July morning, she encouraged me to bake zaatar, using wild thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and spices on flat dough. She took the food to work, and her coworkers were ecstatic—they had never tasted anything so unique and flavorful. Her excitement, coupled with the love Texans showed for this authentic Lebanese offering, convinced me to follow my dream. And so, Zaatarian was born—an online foodie store dedicated to crafting and sharing traditional Lebanese flavors with the world.
My father may no longer be with us, but the skills he passed down live on. Through Zahle Bakery and Zaatarian, I continue his legacy, ensuring that every bite is a celebration of heritage, tradition, and the love poured into homemade food.
Thank you for joining me on this journey—let’s keep the tradition alive!