The Lebanese Bakery on Main Street (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
After moving his restaurant, Let’s Hummus, to uptown Saint John, owner Alex Haran has converted its former Main Street location to become The Lebanese Baker.
“The bakery was always a plan. Unfortunately, we cannot do it there [on Water Street]; I don’t want to combine two things together and then lose it,” he said.
The original goal was to have the 264 Main Street location be a factory for their cuisine, but plans shifted due to complications in the building’s upper level.
“The good thing now in both places, it’s two different things,” said Haran. “Let’s Hummus is the shwarma, the fast-food Lebanese street food, and over here is a hundred per cent baked stuff.”
The Lebanese Baker’s goods for sale include beef pies, cheese boats and Lebanese cheese manakeesh. They will soon introduce desserts, such as syrup-soaked namoura cake and sfouf cake, made with turmeric.
Alex Haran (center right) and his family (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
“We chose the best items to introduce here. We didn’t put anything that wouldn’t be successful with the Canadian market,” Haran said. “So we have chosen stuff that is very common, very easy to understand like the meat pie.”
Business has been good for the bakery since opening last week.
“We’re not as busy as you’re supposed to be [due to COVID-19], you know, but we are we’re fine, surviving,” he said.
Let’s Hummus on Water Street is also doing well and has just got its permit for an outside cafe sidewalk.
“The Uptown location has big potential with the cruise ships, with people going back to work now…But we’re good, we’re surviving, as long as we can pay our expenses,” says Haran.
This story was originally published on Huddle.Today – an Acadia Broadcasting Limited content partner.
