When Riad Shatila came to the U.S. from Lebanon in 1977 seeking to build a business, he didn't have a set plan in place. He did, however, have a passion and love for Middle Eastern sweets and saw an opportunity to bring that into a fairly new and developing Arab American community in Dearborn.

In 1979, Shatila opened a tiny bakery on Warren Avenue. He worked long hours, often sleeping in his office as his pastries baked. In 1984, he moved into a larger storefront on Schaefer Ave., just south of Warren. It was so popular that during Muslim and Christian holidays, customers often had to wait in line outside the store to order their treats.

Shatila closed that store to open a bigger one in 2004 along Warren Ave. The store is often packed at night and on the weekends, as Arabs and non-Arabs from all over the region come to visit the world-famous bakery. In addition to pastries, Shatila developed his own line of ice cream featuring flavors ranging from unique to classic. Flavors like rose water, chocolate, mango, kashta, and the company’s signature, pistachio, have made Shatila’s ice cream line an instant success.

While Middle Eastern pastries had already been quietly introduced in the U.S., Shatila took a unique approach with his own pastries. It wasn't just his superb ingredients that helped make baklava a permanent fixture in Dearborn, but it was also due to their unique presentation. At the time, it was common for baklava to be sold by the pound, but Shatila began serving baklava on trays, which allowed his products to be shipped across the country and refrigerated for longer lasting quality.

In the early 1980s, there were less than 10 Arab American-owned businesses on Warren Ave. in East Dearborn. By 1990 that number was up to about 50 and in 2000 there were more than 100. Today there are nearly 200, about half of which are food-related businesses like Shatila Bakery. The majority of the food related businesses are owned by Lebanese Americans, though some Iraqis, Palestinians, Yemenis, Jordanians, and Syrians also have businesses along Warren Avenue.

Credits and Sources:

"Shatila - Profile," 2016, http://www.shatila.com/profile.html.