We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Dubbaneh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Daniel, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
We learned generosity from our parents and grandparents. In a culture renowned for its hospitality our family practiced a form of hospitality that went above and beyond. We saw time and time again how they put all of their effort into making people feel loved through food. From a young age we saw the impact we could have by doing the small things and paying attention to the details to make people feel cared for.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m part of the family behind Z&Z and Z&Z Manoushe Bakery. We’re a family-owned business that specializes in some of the most delicious flavors of the Middle East.
We got our start in DC farmers markets in 2016 making za’atar manoushe (flatbreads) fresh on saj. We started then with what is still our mission today: to make people feel at home through sharing the foods we love the most. Za’atar was always a staple of every table growing up and manoushe was especially special to us. In many ways our love for manoushe was quite literally handed down to us from our teta. As kids we would wake up on weekends to the smell of my grandma baking fresh za’atar manoushe for us. There was no better feeling than this gathering around a table of delicious food with the people you love the most. This is the feeling we attempt to recreate in every interaction with our guests.
Since our start at farmers markets we’ve grown into our own Brick & Mortar location that was named one of the 50 best new restaurants of 2022 by Bon Appetit Magazine. We also sell our spices and a frozen version of our manoushe in Whole Foods and MOM’s Organic Market in the Northeast.
We wake up every day excited at the opportunity to connect with people through the medium of our favorite foods.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities most impactful in our journey were being curious, being determined, and having fun. Our dad owned a restaurant for 30 years and for many years our parents warned us to stay far far away from the food business and to get an education and a good career. We all did that but still had an entrepreneurial itch. Before Z&Z that had manifested itself in many ways including a furniture rental company for college students and a yelp for date spots.
Being curious, determined and having fun meant we were always being inquisitive and questioning things and finding opportunities to start something new. Being determined meant starting without knowing what the future would hold and fighting through the many challenges along the way. Having fun meant we were able to truly enjoy the ups and downs of the journey and always finding ways to keep things silly.
These three things will help anyone early in their journey immensely. Having the right attitude to identify opportunities, the fortitude to embrace challenges, and the awareness to have fun along the ride will make sure you’re able to make it out the other side.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
There are too many important books we have read to mention so instead I want to place emphasis on the importance of self-educating and continuous improvement. Learning is a lifelong pursuit and there is so much wisdom available in other peoples lived experience. Whether it’s from books, podcasts, or educational videos we have learned and gained so much knowledge from so many different mediums over the year. All of these lessons have been integral in our development as both individuals and entrepreneurs. There is no reason to believe you know what you need to know. Always be willing to ask for help and always seek out to learn from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zandzdc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zandzdc/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zandz
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/z-and-z-rockville-3
Image Credits
Illustration – Annie Schonberger Image of Johnny & Danny at Counter – Washingtonian
