Baba's

What Baba's does

Baba's is a family-owned Modern Middle Eastern packaged food brand, founded in 2018 by Palestinian-American siblings Rana and Khalid and headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota. The company's core product is a Jerusalem-style creamy hummus built on a proprietary recipe created by their father Jamal at his restaurant, The Mediterranean Cruise Café, in 1979. The portfolio spans 8+ hummus flavors (Traditional/Creamy Dreamy, Roasted Red Pepper, Zesty Za'atar, Spicylicious Sriracha, Mediterranean Salsasita, Olive, Garlicky Caramelized Onion, Dilly Dill Pickle), companion dips (G'noosh eggplant spread, tzatziki), frozen falafel, pita and flatbread products (White Pocket Pita, Whole Wheat Pita, Lebanese Flatbread, Pita Puffs), and branded apparel. Most SKUs carry Halal (American Halal Foundation), Non-GMO, and Glyphosate-Free certifications and are positioned as vegan, gluten-free, and free of artificial preservatives.

Baba's operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market with multi-channel distribution: a Shopify-powered own e-commerce store (lovebabas.com), one physical café (Hummus House, opened August 2023 at 2220 Lyndale Ave. South, Minneapolis, featuring mana'eesh and a Peace Coffee coffee program), regional retail grocery placement (including Whole Foods and Minnesota co-ops), Instacart availability in select regions, and an annual Minnesota State Fair vendor presence (2021-2023). Revenue streams are one-time transactional sales across food products, café/dine-in service, and merchandise, with unit-based pricing (e.g., Pita Puffs 3-pack $18, apparel $30-$49).

The company has no disclosed external institutional investors or funding rounds and remains family-controlled, with no parent company or subsidiaries. Technology dependencies are limited to commodity platforms (Shopify, Google Analytics, Toast Tab online ordering) — there is no proprietary software stack or AI/ML capability in evidence. Operating geography is Midwest USA, with brand awareness concentrated in the Minnesota/Minneapolis market via earned media and endorsements, including a James Beard Award winner (Andrew Zimmern) and WCCO anchor Jason DeRusha.

Name

Baba's

Legal name

Baba's

Website

https://lovebabas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Baba's is a family-owned Modern Middle Eastern packaged food brand founded in 2018 by Palestinian-American siblings, selling Jerusalem-style hummus, dips, falafel, pita, and apparel via DTC e-commerce, regional grocery, and one Minneapolis café.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Middle Eastern Foods / Specialty Hummus

NAICS

All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerated Dips & Spreads (Cream Cheese, Hummus, Salsa, Guacamole) (CRADACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Specialty Grocery (Organic/Health/Ethnic/Gourmet) (CRAHAIAE), Frozen Plant-Based & Vegetarian Meals (CRADADAF)

Keywords

• Modern middle eastern food
• Artisan hummus brands
• Clean label dips
• Halal certified foods
• Middle eastern cafe

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Products Sales: Sales of hummus, dips, bread, falafel, and pita products through e-commerce, retail stores, and their cafe. Products include various hummus flavors, G'noosh (eggplant spread), tzatziki, pita bread, pita puffs, and falafel.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including sweatshirts, crewnecks, and other apparel items through their e-commerce store.
3. Cafe/Dine-in Sales: Revenue from their Hummus House cafe location offering mana'eesh, hummus bowls, and other prepared foods. Coffee program sourced from Peace Coffee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Baba's sells Jerusalem-style hummus in multiple flavors, specialty dips (G'noosh, Tzatziki), frozen falafel, pita breads and flatbreads, and branded apparel. The company distributes these products through its own e-commerce store (lovebabas.com), a physical café (Hummus House) in Minneapolis, retail grocery stores, Instacart, and an annual airstream food truck at the Minnesota State Fair.

Product overview

Baba's is a Modern Middle Eastern food brand offering a portfolio of hummus flavors, specialty dips, bread products, falafel, and branded merchandise. The core offering is Jerusalem-style creamy hummus (Traditional/Creamy Dreamy), supplemented by 8+ hummus flavor variations (Roasted Red Pepper, Zesty Za'atar, Spicylicious Sriracha, Mediterranean Salsasita, Ol♥ve, Garlicky Caramelized Onion, Dilly Dill Pickle), plus non-hummus dips (G'noosh, Tzatziki), frozen falafel, and pita/flatbread products (White Pocket Pita, Whole Wheat Pocket Pita, Lebanese Flatbread, Pita Puffs). The company also operates a physical café (Hummus House) in Minneapolis. Merchandise includes branded sweatshirts and apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creamy Traditional Hummus Jerusalem-style creamy hummus made with copious amounts of tahini, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and Halal certified. Available in 10oz, 17oz, and 34oz sizes.
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Fire-roasted red peppers blended with Baba's signature creamy hummus. Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free.
• Zesty Za'atar Hummus Za'atar spice blend (sesame, oregano, mint, and spices) mixed with traditional hummus for an earthy, nutty flavor.
• Spicylicious Sriracha Hummus Cult-favorite Sriracha blended with signature creamy hummus. Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, Halal.
• Mediterranean Salsasita Hummus Homemade Mediterranean salsa with hints of fresh mint and cumin blended with signature creamy hummus.
• Ol♥ve Hummus Greek olives blended with signature creamy hummus and topped with an olive tapenade. Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, Halal.
• Garlicky Caramelized Onion Hummus Fresh garlic and caramelized onions blended with signature creamy hummus.
• Dilly Dill Pickle Hummus American dill pickle blended with creamy, dreamy hummus. Non-GMO certified, vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, Halal.
• G'noosh (Roasted Eggplant Spread) Modern take on baba ganoush — garlicky, lemony, creamy roasted eggplant spread inspired by travels throughout Palestine. Non-GMO, gluten-free, Halal, no artificial preservatives.
• Tzatziki Traditional cucumber Greek yogurt sauce/dip, listed as part of the dips product line alongside hummus and G'noosh.
• Falafel Herb-ilicious chickpea fritters made with simple ingredients and no preservatives. Vegan, non-GMO certified, gluten-free, plant-based, Halal. 12 pieces of frozen, uncooked fritters per pack; bake or fry.
• White Pocket Pita Soft, fluffy pita bread. Vegan, non-GMO, plant-based, Kosher, Halal. 4 pieces per bag, 11oz.
• Whole Wheat Pocket Pita Whole wheat pocket pita bread. 4 pieces per bag.
• Lebanese Flatbread Large Lebanese flatbread, described as the best Middle Eastern flatbread. Vegan, non-GMO, plant-based, Halal. 4 pieces per bag, 4oz.
• Pita Puffs Mini, puffy pita pillows — fluffy and soft vessels for creamy dips. Vegan, Halal, Kosher, no artificial preservatives. 15 puffs per pouch; available in 3-pack ($18) or 6-pack ($36).
• Blue Creamy Dreamy Sweatshirt Unisex blue crewneck sweatshirt; 8.0 oz, 50/50 cotton/polyester blend with seamless body and set-in sleeves. Available in S, M, L, XL at $30.00 each.
• Pink Creamy Dreamy Sweatshirt Unisex pink crewneck sweatshirt; 8.0 oz, 50/50 cotton/polyester blend with 1x1 rib collar, cuffs, and waistband with spandex.
• Yallah Crew Sweatshirt White crewneck sweatshirt; 8.5 oz midweight 80/20 cotton/polyester fleece blend. 'Yallah' means 'let's go' in Arabic. Available in S, M, L, XL at $45.00 each.
• Baba's Tie Dye Crewneck Hand-dyed tie-dye cotton candy crewneck. Each garment is unique. 80/20 ringspun cotton/polyester blend with 100% cotton face. Available in XL and 2XL at $49.00 each.
• Hummus House Café First physical café location in Minneapolis offering mana'eesh, hummus bowls, brick-oven flatbreads, and a coffee program sourced by Peace Coffee, with dine-in and takeout.
• Oh la la Truffle Hummus Limited-edition truffle hummus flavor.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named #1 fair food at Minnesota State Fair 2021 by WCCO morning news anchor
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Peace CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Peace Coffee supplies the coffee program for the Hummus House cafe. They offer a spin on Middle Eastern flavors through the cafe's coffee menu.
• Mediterranean Cruise CafeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Family restaurant of founders Rana and Khalid's family, originally established by their father Jamal in 1979. The first pop-up event was held at this location's parking lot.
• American Halal FoundationcoreOthersProvides Halal certification for all Baba's products, ensuring compliance with Islamic dietary requirements.
• InstacartminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline grocery delivery platform where Baba's pita puffs and merchandise can be purchased in select regions.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering Baba's online store at lovebabas.com for selling products and processing orders.
• Toast Tab (Order Online)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform for the Hummus House cafe location, allowing customers to order for pickup.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Streit's: Long-standing Middle Eastern/kosher CPG brand with strong heritage positioning. Comparable to Baba's in heritage-driven storytelling and kosher/halal adjacent consumer base.

Emerging players

• Haig's Delicacies: Smaller Middle Eastern dips and spreads brand. Comparable to Baba's in scale, product format, and emerging brand status in the Mediterranean category.

Direct peers

• Hope Foods: Organic, non-GMO hummus and dips brand targeting health-conscious consumers. Comparable to Baba's in clean-label certifications and natural channel distribution.
• Cedar's Mediterranean Foods: Mediterranean dips, hummus, and spreads brand sold in mainstream grocery. Comparable product portfolio and retail channel mix to Baba's.
• Lantana Foods: Hummus and plant-based dips brand with chef-inspired flavors and natural foods distribution. Closely comparable to Baba's on product mix and clean-ingredient premium positioning.
• Ithaca Hummus: Premium, clean-ingredient hummus brand sold nationally in grocery and via DTC. Highly comparable to Baba's in product positioning, clean-label emphasis, and CPG-plus-cafe adjacency.
• Tribe Hummus: Direct premium hummus competitor with similar clean-ingredient positioning and DTC/grocery dual-channel sales. Closely comparable to Baba's on product, target customer, and category.
• Wild Garden: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern packaged foods brand including dips and pita-based products. Comparable category breadth and grocery distribution to Baba's.

Broad incumbents

• Sabra Dipping Company: Largest U.S. hummus brand, owned by PepsiCo. Operates broadly in hummus, dips, and Mediterranean snacks with massive distribution — the dominant incumbent Baba's competes against at retail.

Others

• Mediterranean Snack Food Company: Adjacent Middle Eastern snack brand (rice cakes, crackers). Comparable to Baba's as a fellow ethnic-inspired CPG scaling in the U.S. market, though in a different snack subcategory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eatbabas
• Facebookfacebook.com/eatbabas
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatbabas
• Pinterestpinterest.com/lovebabas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baba-s-food-company

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Baba's