A story of sacrifice, faith, family, and tradition.
Founded in 1982, Cedars Bakery Inc. was built on sacrifice, faith, family, and tradition.
Haj Abu Ahmed came to America from the war-torn country of Lebanon with a dream, choosing Dearborn, Michigan, as the place to build a new life for his family. What started as a small neighborhood bakery quickly became something much greater: a symbol of resilience, hard work, and community. Alongside his wife and seven children, the bakery became their entire life. The children would spend their days in school and head straight to the bakery afterward, working long hours late into the night beside their parents.
Back then, every loaf of bread was made completely by hand. Each bag containing 10 loaves of pita bread could take nearly an hour to produce. From mixing the dough to hand sheeting, proofing, baking, and packaging, every step carried the care and pride of a family determined to survive and succeed together. There were no shortcuts, only dedication.
Fouad gave everything he had.
Fouad, Abu Ahmed's son, made the life-changing decision to dedicate himself fully to carrying on the family business and stayed side by side with his father through every stage of Cedars Bakery's journey. Through sleepless nights, financial struggles, setbacks, tears, sweat, and uncertainty, Haj Abu Ahmed and Fouad continued pushing forward with one goal in mind: making sure their community always had fresh bread on their table. No matter the obstacles, they found a way.
Fouad's dedication, sacrifice, and relentless work ethic became some of the biggest reasons Cedars Bakery was able to grow into what it is today. There were years of exhausting overnight shifts, nonstop production, and sacrifices that nobody ever saw behind the scenes. He gave everything he had to protect the family business and continue the dream his father started.
More than four decades later, Haj Abu Ahmed still walks through the bakery doors every single day. His presence remains the heart of Cedars Bakery. What began in 1982 with strictly handmade production has grown into a fully automated operation serving customers throughout Metro Detroit and across the United States. Yet despite the growth, one thing has never changed: our values.
At Cedars Bakery, we do not see people as customers. We see them as family.
Our recipes are rooted in generations of tradition, inspired by homemade old-school methods and the flavors passed down from our mothers and grandmothers. Every product we make carries the same authenticity, warmth, and care that our family poured into the bakery from day one. Hospitality is part of who we are. In Middle Eastern culture, feeding people is an act of love, and that belief continues to shape everything we do today.
Over the years, Cedars Bakery has built lifelong relationships throughout the Metro Detroit community. Families who once came in as strangers became lifelong friends. Children who grew up eating our bread now bring in their own children. These relationships are the foundation of our story and the reason we continue doing what we do every single day.
Jido laid the foundation, Dad built it, and I will expand it.
Today, Fouad and his son Adam continue carrying the dream that Haj Abu Ahmed started over four decades ago. Together, they work tirelessly every day to represent everything Cedars Bakery stands for: quality, authenticity, family, sacrifice, and tradition. With Fouad's decades of dedication and experience alongside Adam's vision for the future, Cedars Bakery continues to grow while staying true to the values that built it from the very beginning.
That vision represents more than business growth. It represents honoring the sacrifices of the generations before them while continuing to bring authentic, homemade bread and tradition to families across America.
Cedars Bakery is not just a bakery.
It is a story of immigration, sacrifice, perseverance, faith, and family.
It is early mornings, flour-covered hands, and generations working side by side.
It is the taste of home for so many families.
After all these years, we are still baking with the same heart that started it all in 1982.
What we won't change.
The family.
Three generations working side by side. Haj Abu Ahmed still walks through the doors every day.
The recipes.
Rooted in generations of tradition, inspired by old-school methods passed down from our mothers and grandmothers.
The community.
We do not see people as customers. We see them as family. Feeding people is an act of love.
The bread.
From handmade production in 1982 to a fully automated operation today — the same heart goes into every loaf.
What our partners say.
We tried four bakeries before Cedars. None of them came back. Their pita moves twice as fast off the shelf.
Daily delivery never misses. Their account team actually picks up the phone. That's rare in this business.
We've been buying their bread for twelve years. It tastes exactly the same as the day we started.
Become part of the family.
Whether you're a neighborhood grocer or a growing restaurant group, we'd love to put fresh bread on your shelves.