Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalid Shabazz.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Khalid. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Some of my first memories were in my parents’ bakery in Detroit, Michigan. Shabazz Bakery was a magical place. My parents owned and operated it and became known for the famous “Mean Bean Pie.” One of my first toys was a pie press machine, I got a kick out of pulling the lever and pressing the pie dough into the pan. In addition to the pies, my dad mastered a delicious honey wheat bread which was also the base for amazing fish sandwiches. Growing up in the bakery was not always fun. But I learned so many skills from my dad.
Over the years, I transitioned to a plant-based diet. For the most part, the transition wasn’t difficult but I did miss some of my dad’s pastries. I called him and asked if he had recipes. He questioned what I could possibly want with them. I told him I wanted to make a pie. He said “A pie? Man aren’t you vegan? What are you making pies for?” I told him I wanted to master the vegan version. He didn’t think it could be done. That sparked the competitive side of me because anytime someone thinks I can’t do something, I’m that much more driven to make it happen.
My mom called a few days later and said she heard I was trying to make a vegan bean pie. I told her that I needed the recipe to experiment. She sent it to me but told me “You didn’t get this from me.” I proceeded to the kitchen to create the pie. It took me a few tries with a few tweaks but when I nailed it, everyone loved it. The pie had the same flavor as the original pie, with a lighter texture.
My fiance had the idea to convert even more of the recipes to be vegan and that is how Doughlicious Vegan was born. It is our joint effort to make unique vegan baked goods that have roots in our family traditions. I took one month off from work to get the business going. In that time, I made a connection with a local restaurant called Plant-Based Pizzeria which has the most amazing vegan pizzas. We have been selling our mini pies from there for the past few months and it has been an amazing start.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Starting a business is a difficult journey and being a black business owner has its unique challenges. We face more scrutiny and also have less capital and connections which makes us work that much harder. However, this journey has been very worth it.
In addition, there has been a need to educate new customers on what the bean pie is. Some people are unfamiliar and don’t like the sound of a pie made from beans. However, once they try it, they are instantly in love. Our product is unique to our family and our culture and we are intent on sharing it to the world.
Doughlicious Vegan – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Doughlicious Vegan is a vegan bakery specializing in unique baked items. Our premier product is our vegan bean pies, made of navy beans. This recipe is a remastered version of my dad’s famous pie and it does not disappoint. We also produce agave sweetened wheat bread, rolls, and buns, cheesecakes, and scones. I am most proud of our growth so far and the vision we have for making Doughlicious Vegan a household name.
What sets us apart from others is the history and family tradition of the company. We are not doing the typical desserts, we are baking from a family legacy. We want to continue that legacy and have something to pass down to the next generation.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far has been landing our first account at Plant-Based Pizzeria. It was my first time going to various vegan restaurants in the city and pitching the vegan bean pie to them. Paul Jordan, the owner of Plant-Based Pizzeria allowed us to give him a small batch of pies and when they sold out we continued to supply them with pies.
After getting the account going, vegan celebrity Keri Hilson posted saying that our pies were delicious! In addition, vegan influencer Tabitha Brown tasted our pies while at Plant-Based Pizzeria and posted on social media. Having confirmation about the strength of our product just inspired us to push further and continue building our business.
Pricing:
- Bean Pie Tarts $5
- Large Bean Pies $20
- Agave Wheat Rolls (6 count) $3.50
- Agave Wheat Bread (loaf) $5.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.doughliciousveganbakery.com
- Phone: 678-753-5498
- Email: doughliciousvegan@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doughlicious_vegan/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Doughlicious-Vegan-LLC
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