In 1895, Abrahim Sahadi opened A. Sahadi & Co. on Washington Street in NYC.
In 1919, Wade Sahadi came to America from Lebanon and went to work with his Uncle Abrahim. For the next 22 years, the family worked together to build an improved A. Sahadi & Co.
By 1941, the younger and more aggressive Wade, and his more content uncle, had some differences of opinion and Wade decided to go into business on his own. By that time, Wade had become a junior partner in A. Sahadi and Uncle Abe bought him out with lentils, chick peas, olives and bulghur. Wade established Sahadi Importing Co. in 1941 on Washington Street.
During the 1940′s, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was being constructed and, with the excavation being done, many homes and businesses were displaced. Wade and new partner Nicholas Sabah purchased a property at 187 Atlantic Avenue in 1946. Within two years, Sahadi Importing Co. began its operations in Brooklyn.
In the 1960′s, Wade and Nick were joined by Wade’s two older sons Charlie and Richard. Wade passed away in 1967, having built a solid foundation and reputation for the family business.
In the 1970′s, Sahadis expanded again. Wade’s younger son Bob and Charlie’s wife Audrey joined the growing business. Two buildings were purchased on Bergen Street to become the wholesale warehouse. It only took 6 years before a larger warehouse was purchased in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
In the 1990s, two of Charlie and Audrey’s children, Christine and Ron, joined the business. They, along with Christine’s husband Pat, made Sahadi’s a true third generation business. In 1991, Regina Nut Products was acquired to ensure a consistent supply of quality snacks.
To kick off the next 100 years, the Sahadi family formed Sahadi Fine Foods to concentrate on packing superior food products. They purchased a property in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn in 1999 and spent the next two years building a modern manufacturing plant.
You can still visit the original Sahadi retail store at 187 Atlantic Avenue. While it doesn’t look like it did in 1948, the essence and character are exactly the same.
