About Mediterranean Bread Company

“When the war broke out in Lebanon in 1975, my cousin George Aboujaoude, better known as ‘JouJou’ to all of his friends and family, came to the US to find a better life. My parents (my dad and JouJou are first cousins and were best friends) had already arrived here on their honeymoon. When the war closed the airport in late 1975, they, like many others, became refugees scrambling to survive. JouJou, a jack of all trades, had traveled the world from Europe to Australia to the Middle East and now the United States. He had mastered many crafts along the way—hairdresser, carpenter, accountant. While working odd jobs in Birmingham, he noticed the lack of quality pita bread. Determined as always, JouJou decided to learn the art of baking bread, studying old recipes and methods passed down from generations in Lebanon. He explored equipment and facilities, finally shipping the latest and best state-of-the-art machinery from Lebanon. I was there as a small child—he spent countless sleepless nights running batch after batch, trying to perfect the recipe and the baking process. He and my dad got into it on many occasions, that’s for sure. But finally, he mastered the craft and produced quality pita bread for the local community.