Yeast feast | A conversation with Audai Naser, owner of Tandoor Bread in Portland, interpreted by his friend, Ihsan Abdulhussain
Photo/Carol Coultas
Audai Naser
Tandoor Bread
Founded: December 2009
Employees: 2
Startup costs: $38,000
Projected revenue, year one: $6,000
Projected revenue, year two: $10,000
Contact: 871-0655
845R Forest Ave., Portland
What is Tandoor Bread?
It is a bakery. We use a tandoor oven, that's where the name comes from. I make traditional, hand-crafted Iraqi breads - samoon [puffy, football-shaped loaves, used mostly for sandwiches, wraps and dipping, made with white flour] and tenur [traditional flat bread, similar to Indian naan, made with a mix of whole wheat and white flours] - and many kinds of sweets, like baklava. We are experimenting, making new things like burek [a triangular, stuffed phyllo dough pastry]. Primarily we sell wholesale to restaurants, some Arabic stores, some Indian restaurants. And there are some people who come here to buy, so we have some retail sales.
Now I work mostly seven days a week, making 3,000 loaves a week.
It looks hard to make.
No. I have been doing it for 30 years. On a typical day, I arrive at 5 a.m. in the morning and work for 10 hours, making the bread. After the bread is ready, I deliver it by van.
Why did you start the company?
Because no one in the state makes this kind of bread and I already knew how to make it. For Maine, it is a new business. I was a baker in Iraq since 1983 and my father before me. I left Basrah, in southern Iraq, because of the war, seeking safety and protection for my family. I have a wife and seven children. This is a better situation now.
How do you market the company?
In the beginning, I went to many stores and restaurants and showed them the bread. People began asking about it and ordering it. I guess it has all been word of mouth. We do not have a website now, but we will within two months.
How do you finance the company?
With a loan through CEI [Coastal Enterprises Inc.] and money from some Iraqi friends.
Is owning a bakery in Maine very different from owning a bakery in Iraq?
Sure. Here there is more machinery and more modern equipment. This place is bigger than my bakery in Iraq, also. And in Iraq, I had only two hours of electricity and then four hours without. But the fuel we used for the ovens was oil, so we could bake. And it was very hot - with the oven and the weather. It's like you're in the oven.
How are the government regulations different?
In Iraq, there are no taxes, no insurance, no health care. You don't pay for anything.
Has your business experienced any special challenges? Have you used any services specific to immigrant businesses?
John [Scribner, SmartStart business counselor at CEI] was very helpful. He helped me get the business started and supports me all the time. I first made my bread at the community kitchen in the Portland Public Market, before opening my own bakery here in September. And the people at RootCellar [a Portland-based charity] helped us with some small things like business cards. Several friends have also supported us.
What are your goals for your company?
For the future, I would like to grow enough to have many bakeries and make a company that can deliver [our products] to other states. First, I need to make this bakery successful, and then use the money from this bakery to expand.
Last week I was in Boston and a source there bought the bread. They bought 150 bags of bread. This could become a standing order, with many repeat orders. People didn't know of this bread because you cannot find it in many Arabic stores. We looked at all the New England states and you cannot find this Iraqi bread. So there is potential for us to grow in this market.
Interview by Carol Coultas
New Ventures profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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