Habiza Hummus - Jonathan Srour
While still in high school, Jonathan Srour first started producing hummus in his garage and selling it every Sunday in the driveway. Following his grandma\u2019s family recipe, he used tahini sourced from the mountains of Lebanon. The hummus is creamy, light, and it embodies a homemade taste. However, what started as a small driveway operation, quickly gained a loyal following as people lined up to get their hummus. But then he had to make a decision. Was he going to go to college, or continue to make his family\u2019s hummus?The tricky part came not in the decision, but in telling his family he wasn\u2019t going to college. In hindsight, with his product on the shelves of both Ralphs and Erewhon, it looks like a no-brainer. But at the time, his family just had to trust in his grit and tenacity. For our part, it\u2019s rare that we interview founders at this stage of entrepreneurship. But much like his family trusting his instincts, once we heard his story, the decision to have him on was also a no-brainer. Today with chat with Jonathan, the founder of Habiza, about:
-
How he used his high school friends to help him launch into big grocery chains
-
Why he is targeting shelf space instead of social media followers
-
The time he convinced his boss at Marco\u2019s Pizza to follow his plan to takedown Dominos Pizza.