- [Majdi] I believe nothing can put people together than a table of different food.

(upbeat music) - Our whole family loves to cook.

My grandma, my grandpa, my uncles, my dad, my cousins, we're a family that loves food.

What better way to get people to know more about Muslims and Arabs in the Middle East What better way to get people to than to share our food with them?

What better way to get people to - That's the really interesting thing about Holy Land is, What better way to get people to it's a grocery, it's a restaurant, it's a hummus factory, it's a bakery.

There's always something happening, so you're never bored.

- We're proud to serve our community, our Middle Eastern, Lebanese, and Muslim community, but we're prouder to serve our larger community, which is Minnesotan.

but we're prouder to serve our larger community, We are committed to give the customer the true, authentic experience that if they travel to the Middle East, this what they find.

In most of the ethnic businesses, in general, when they do their business, In most of the ethnic businesses, in general, they do it focusing in their community, in their certain ethnic group.

From day one, here at Holy Land, we decide to do the opposite.

One of our balances and strategies we decide to do the opposite.

that we followed is building bridges, between us as an Arab-Muslim community that we followed is building bridges, and other communities, other ethnicity groups, and it couldn't be possible without food on the table making and it couldn't be possible all of us sitting around the table and talk, and it couldn't be possible so this is where the conversation starts.

and it couldn't be possible We have a fresh bakery that we bake our bread daily, and then we have our supermarket that offer the Middle Eastern community, and the Muslim community, at large, and the Minnesotan community, in general, with a wide selection of imported cheese, and olives, and products from all over the world.

- You can find Holy Land hummus everywhere and products from all over the world.

in the Midwest region in Costco, for sure, and products from all over the world.

everywhere in Minnesota, in general, in the Twin Cities, in every Target, Sam's Club, and all Lunds and Byerlys, Whole Foods, Seward, in the Twin Cities, in every Target, Sam's Club, the co-op, the list can go on and on, and, hopefully, in a couple of years, you'll find Holy Land hummus everywhere, and you'll find a Holy Land on every corner, so that's the dream for us, to be big.

- We have like an airport location, a Target field, our midtown location - We have like an airport location, and then a lot of other restaurants locally - We have like an airport location, that buy product from us.

- We have like an airport location, My dad has a saying that people say the sky is your limit, he says beyond the sky is your limit, and I always believe that, and I think it's so true.

You work hard, anything is possible.

and I always believe that, and I think it's so true.

- My brother started Holy Land in 1987, when he graduated from Moorhead State University, he moved to the Twin City, and there was a small store here on the corner called Ali Baba.

- [Lianne] We started off as a small hole-in-the-wall, we begged people to eat hummus.

My grandma would chase people, and be like, please, just try it, it's good for you, and then people had no idea what it was.

(upbeat guitar music) - I remember back then, in the parking lot here, we used to have houses full of prostitution, drugs, the bar where we have our factory now we used to have houses full of prostitution, drugs, was one of the worst spot in town here, we used to have houses full of prostitution, drugs, so Holy Land came and bought all these houses, we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, and start bringing the nice family.

we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, The bar, we shut it down, we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, we bought the liquor license, we put it in the garbage.

we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, We opened a factory, creating jobs.

we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, We converted this neighborhood from we cleaned the neighborhood, we build houses, where it was to where it is now.

Now, it became the most famous ethnic street, diversest street in Minnesota.

If you walk in Central now, you have restaurants from all over the world.

You have Ecuadorian, Mexican, Hispanic, you have restaurants from all over the world.

you know what I mean, Chinese, Italian, Somalian, Afghani, from all over the world, it's a fair of international food, and the reason for all this businesses, it's a fair of international food, and the reason for this neighborhood being changed, is Holy Land.

and the reason for this neighborhood being changed, - I work with my cousins, I work with my siblings, I work with my dad, my mom comes and helps out, my grandma does anything she can, I mean, Holy Land wouldn't be here without her today.

- A lot of our employees have personal family problems, I guarantee, Majdi would be the first one to be with them before their own family members, I guarantee, Majdi would be the first one to be with them so it's a truly Holy Land family.

That's how we are, and that's how we always wanna be.

- The people that work with us, they're not employees, they're not co-workers, they're also family.

We've had people that have been here since the day I was born, We've had people that have been here and we've had people here for 15 plus years.

We have a very low turnover rate, and it's because we do our best to make everyone feel like family.

- The biggest advantage that we have is being a small business is really not an easy thing, although everybody advertising that is being a small business is really not an easy thing, the small businesses are the backbone of this economy.

is being a small business is really not an easy thing, We can't compete.

is being a small business is really not an easy thing, My prices going up, while corporate prices going down.

My dream, not to see Holy Land become a corporate, that's for sure, because we're a family business.

What strive me to wake up every day six in the morning, that's for sure, because we're a family business.

be the first one here and the last to leave, is this 180 people, because I feel I'm responsible for their future.

is this 180 people, because I feel - We're really excited about the future.

Whenever we have our family meetings, or our employee meetings, all we talk about is the future.

We can feel it, it's our turn, and we're really excited.