Locally created and produced hummus brand Baba’s has announced they are opening a restaurant and shop in Uptown this July.

Baba’s was created by siblings Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari in 2018. The duo was inspired by their father, who made his own hummus that he started serving at his Burnsville restaurant ‘The Mediterranean Cruise Cafe‘ in 1979.

Baba’s debuted as a new food vendor at the Minnesota State Fair in 2021, serving up hummus bowls with various toppings and hummus flavors to the warm receptions from fair food reviewers and fairgoers.

“After introducing our hummus bowls at the Minnesota State Fair and receiving incredible reception from our community, we knew we wanted to create a permanent space around the concept,” says Baba’s co-founder Rana Kamal.

The 50-seat restaurant will include Middle Eastern food offerings, including their signature state fair hummus bowls, a flatbread known as mana’eesh that is baked in a traditional dome oven and topped with savory ingredients like cheese and za’atar, Jerusalem-style bagels and pistachio baklava croissants.

“My brother Khalid and I grew up going to street cafes that serve up fresh bowls of hummus during our family trips back to Jerusalem and we’re thrilled to bring this part of our culture to Minneapolis. Palestinian food is not only rich in flavor, it is also rich in history,” said Kamal.

The new restaurant and store in Minneapolis will be located at 2220 Lyndale Avenue South. It will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will also feature a market for grab-and-go food items and specialty products.