Shatila Bakery: A Story of ‘Sweet’ Success

Raid Saad Shatila had come to the United States in 1977, looking to build a business with nothing more than a high school education in Lebanon. He had a passion for Middle Eastern sweets and wanted to incorporate that into his new business.

After saving enough money, Shatila opened up his dream bakery just two years after moving into Dearborn. He still recalls his early days of struggle.

“There was a lot of trial and error,” said Shatila. “It wasn’t just about how our pastries tasted, but it also had a lot to do with presentation,” he added.

Prior to the introduction of Shatila’s signature mixed baklava tray, Middle Eastern pastries were packaged and sold in a completely different style. According to Shatila, baklava used to be sold by the pound, before his company presented it in its now familiar tray form. But despite other competing bakeries making that presentation the norm as well, Shatila looks on the positive side of things.

“We don’t mind the competition,” Shatila stated. “The success of our bakery has paved the way for other bakeries and that’s what makes it great.”

Not only does Shatila sound like he is humble and friendly, he also appears that way. Visiting his shop on a quiet Friday afternoon, he sits in a corner in the shop’s seating area, appearing to be very quiet and poised, and his employees are used to that manner.

“People always think he’s going be some sort of Willy Wonka guy,” said Tanya Shatila, 20, one of his three children. “He’s actually always been calm like this.”

Tanya is currently employed by her dad's company, but can usually be found at the offices, located on Wyoming, where the pastries are freshly made and delivered not just to the bakery, but all over the world.

“A lot of the revenue comes from shipping,” Tanya added. “Word of mouth has made our pastries reach as far as South America.”

Shipping has become just one key component to the company’s mass success. Another major force within the company is the ice cream, and that wasn’t introduced until the 90s. Of the company’s 11 flavors, which include chocolate, mango, and strawberry, the most popular flavor is the pistachio, which has become one of the company’s signature products.

“You can’t find anything like it here because we import the pistachio all the way from Turkey,” Shatila stated.

The ice cream, along with growing sales of products ranging from French cakes to morning pastries such as the kunafa (a warm dough with cheese or cream filling), allowed the company to close down its original location and relocate to a much bigger and grander spot on Warren Ave. between Chase Rd. and Schafer Rd. in 2003.

Not only did the company have to accommodate much larger foot traffic, but it also had to make sure that it didn’t lose its Middle Eastern presentation while making the transition.

“That’s very important to the company that we make sure we don’t get too Americanized,” Tanya stated. “People always ask me why we don’t have stuff like red velvet cake. That can be found anywhere, but our products can’t.” And indeed, the pastry display there is breathtaking.

Sticking to that concept has surely made the company a popular option, even for non-Arab and non-Muslim customers.
“We are busier during Christmas even more so than we are during Ramadan,” Shatila added. “It just shows the variety of customers we get.”

Even as the company has become a staple brand name, especially in the Dearborn area, there are still talks of future goals. Opening up another location is not out of the question, neither is expanding their ice cream line.

“We are working on making our ice cream available at grocery stores all over the country in a similar fashion to how Haagen-Dazs is available everywhere,” noted Tanya. “The ice cream is a vehicle all its own.”

Tanya says she also plans to be an essential part of her father’s company in the future, and this isn’t just some side job that she doesn’t take seriously.

“This company has been a part of me my entire life,” Tanya stated. “I remember growing up, walking around the factory and just being so fascinated by it all,” she added. “I want to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

Tanya isn’t the only help in making the Shatila brand a huge success; the company currently employs close to 175 people, including two managers who operate the bakery, two managers who operate the office and factory, and a manager who operates the ice cream division.

Even with all the help, Shatila says he still oversees his company on a day-to-day basis.  

“I always make sure we stay ahead by experimenting and introducing new products to our customers,” Shatila stated, noting the success of their newest pastry, the osmalieh, which is being served with pistachio filling.  

Despite coming up with ingredients for dozens of new pastries over the years, Shatila says he still prefers a traditional pastry as his favorite, the mammoul, a cookie filled with dates and pistachio that is the most popular choice for dessert in the Middle East, especially during the Eid, when Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Ironically, just like his favorite pastry, Shatila Bakery has gone on to become a sweet tradition in the city of Dearborn.

The Arab American News

New Michigan Media