ABOUT
Established 1895
Originally from Lebanon, the family first established Sahadi’s in Manhattan’s “Little Syria” in 1895. Shortly after in 1899, the shop received its first mention in the New York Times:
“A wonderful shop, this of the merchant Sahadi, with native wines and liqueurs, American groceries, swords and lamps, glass bracelets of many colors, Oriental embroideries, water pipes (hubble bubbles) and their ‘fixings.’”
Visit the Museum of the City of New York and you will find an exhibit featuring old Sahadi Halwah tins and advertising circulars from centuries past.
Meet the Family
Wade Sahadi moved the shop to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn in 1948, due to the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the migration of the community. Wade’s son Charlie Sahadi took over in 1967, with the help of his wife Audrey and his siblings Bob & Richie. Today, it’s currently operated by Charlie’s children, Ron Sahadi and Christine Sahadi Whelan, and her husband Pat Whelan. Christine Whelan is also the author of the award-winning Flavors of the Sun, the first Sahadi’s cookbook. Now, multiple generations born & raised in Brooklyn, the fourth generation of the family have recently entered the business, with Caitlin Whelan at the helm for Sahadi Spirits and Market57 and Michael Whelan joining Ron at the original location on Atlantic Avenue.
Old World, New Tastes
Our Atlantic Avenue and Industry City locations offer aisles of fine ancient grains and exquisite spices, bulk bins of freshly roasted nuts, dried fruits, and imported olives, and old fashioned barrels of coffee beans. Sahadi’s is an old-world place where you can discover new tastes. The fridge cases offers specialty cheeses from around the world, smoked fish, pâtés & more. Because Sahadi’s is an importer as well as a retailer, and relationships with our suppliers span generations, we not only secure the highest-quality product but it gets to our shelves and into your cart faster than any other retailer. Everything sold at Sahadi’s is held to a strict and very personal standard. Many of our customers have been shopping with us for generations, and every time we place an item to the shelf, those customers and neighbors are front of mind.
Prepared & Plated
The deli and bakery are where to find prepared foods, like our legendary hummus, tabbouleh, kibbeh, kebabs — around 30 dishes are prepared daily and change seasonally. Now with a larger kitchen at Industry City, we offer table service, brunch, mezze, and cater large on-site and off-site events (book yours here!). At Industry City, we also host a full bar with cocktails, happy hours, and a wine list which features underrepresented regions like Lebanon, Morocco, Greece, and Sicily. The new Market 57 kiosk serves a variety of Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, including Toshka (a grilled cheese-stuffed Lebanese flatbread), hot Saj wraps, and to-go options.
Sahadi’s is world renowned. Family-owned for over 100 years, a James Beard America’s Classic, and a New York State Historic Business — there are items on our shelves that you will not find anywhere else in America. You may have seen our halvah in USA Today. Read about our Aleppo pepper sourcing saga in Afar. Did you try your hand at preparing green almonds after seeing them in Saveur? Or, maybe you got hungry after discovering the saj in Grub Street. Check out our Press clips for a few more favorite features.
