THE NEOMONDE MEDITERRANEAN STORY

When the Saleh family immigrated to the United States in the 1970s to escape civil war and to pursue educational opportunities, they brought with them their passion for bread and, most importantly, their mother’s secret recipes. With help from an uncle, a converted pizza oven, and rented space in a Raleigh strip mall, four brothers – and their mother, Cecilia – opened Neomonde Baking Company in 1977. They decided to honor their new country by naming the business Neomonde, or “New World.” Their goal was to make wonderful, handmade bread just like their mother’s.

Starting with just a few types of bread, Neomonde began to gain discerning wholesale customers like The Irregardless Cafe and Harmony Farms. As the Raleigh area grew, so did Neomonde’s customer list and product offerings. In the early 1980s, they moved from the small storefront space to their own building on Beryl Road.

In 1989, the Saleh brothers expanded Neomonde in another positive direction by opening the restaurant portion of the business. All their menu items were prepared each day by hand from family recipes using only authentic ingredients, most of it made by Cecilia herself. At first, their food was only available for take-out, but eventually the brothers added a dining area and patio seating to keep up with their ever-expanding popularity of loyal, healthy-minded customers. Regulars began to ask where they could shop for their own healthy ingredients to use at home. To answer this ever-growing demand from their restaurant friends, Neomonde launched a small Mediterranean grocery where customers could purchase all the ingredients and spices to prepare healthy dishes in their own kitchens.