At Pitaland, baked goods are a delight. When civil war broke out in Lebanon, Mr. and Mrs. Chahine were on their honeymoon. They celebrated their recent marriage with family in Pittsburgh. Joe Chahine began working at his brother’s Brookline business, Chahine’s Mediterranean Bakery & Grocery, with intentions to return to his 3rd and 4th grade French students in Lebanon.
A Family Bakery That Rose with Every Single Pita
“My dad had to apply for political asylum to stay here for their safety,” says Aleen, the eldest daughter of the Chahine’s, “and then I was born a year later, in 1975, and the rest is history.” What began as a family bakery with a small oven and grocery, became a powerhouse of wholesale Mediterranean specialties. This is, most notably, the pita bread.
In 1990, Mr. Chahine and his brother-in-law bought the bakery and grocery. The change of ownership presented the opportunity for a business name change. Mr. Chahine liked the ring of “Bagel Land,” a business they supplied. “I wish it was more of a creative story,” Donna says of her father’s inspiration. “But so many people, especially our regulars, still call it Chahine’s,” says Donna.
More Than Pita: A Legacy of Hospitality
A section of windows in the grocery is like a portal into the massive room. This room is where 2,000 loaves are portioned, rolled, proofed, and baked every hour. The room is steeped in an ancient pleasure: the sweet and warm aroma of fresh baked bread. Pitaland supplies pita bread to restaurants and grocers across the region. “You could be eating one of our pitas and never know it,” says Mr. Chahine.
Pitaland’s wholesale business was the raft that kept them afloat during the first months of the pandemic. Restrictions and fear kept customers at home. Since then, retail has rebounded and the lunch crowd has returned. The comeback was made evident by the long line of customers patiently waiting to place their carryout orders.
Mr. Chahine takes pride in his pita bread recipe, his customers and in his family, who are instrumental in Pitaland’s success. The Chahine’s four children, Aleen, Joe, Donna and George, have worked alongside their father since they were young.
Their father’s generosity is as much a part of his nature as it is their own. “I remember as a child, working in the bakery, it was very important that we treated every customer with the utmost respect,” Aleen says. “We tried to help them any way we can.”
Pita may have made their name, but hospitality has earned the family business multi-generational support in the community. The support has carried the Chahine family business two doors down and 50 years down the line.
Story by Margaret Heltzel
Photography by Jeff Swensen
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