JULY 2019 I BOROMAG.COM
Spice Tree Organics
Doaa Elkady, who has a Middle Eastern
background, has always cooked healthy,
flavorful, homemade meals for her family.
When she realized that traditional storebought
spices have radiation, pesticides
and toxins, she sought out organic spices
to maintain her nutritious dishes.
She either couldn’t find them or the
ones she did find tasted “horrible.” In
spring 2016, Elkady and her sister-in-law
Freda Nokaly, both moms of young children,
started their own business mixing
spice blends. To join Entrepreneur Space,
the staff had to review their business plan.
“They’re big on making sure the business
is profitable,” Elkady said of the incubator.
“They helped us with pricing and
packaging.” The staff also helped them
navigate FDA regulations and paired
them with a business counselor, a marketing
consultant and a marketing class. She
said the space was flexible, as they could
rent a production room just for mixing
and bottling, rather than a kitchen. They
also have invested in more storage space
as the business has grown.
“Every year we find ourselves booking
more time,” she said.
Elkady said because she and her partner
are cooks, they know how to create tasty
spice blends that immediately elevate a
recipe, and save people from using 13 different
spices. Some of the offerings include
Damascus Kafta (coriander and cumin);
baking blend Zest Speculaas (cinnamon,
nutmeg, ginger, cloves, anise, cardamom,
mace, white pepper, orange zest, coriander,
allspice); and Beiruti Zaatar (organic
thyme, organic sesame seeds, other organic
spices and herbs). The women also
include recipes on their website to teach
customers how to use their purchases.
The two founders sell the spices at
farmers markets, which is where they do
most of their sales. That allows them to
create relationships with their customers
and make a lasting impression.
“It’s not often you see Muslim women
on the forefront, so it’s memorable,”
Elkady said.
They plan to launch a new website to
sell more online, redesign the labels and
start selling the top sellers in bigger jars
for retail.
“We’re very fortunate to be living in
Queens; people know ethnic cuisine,”
said Elkady. “So our spices resonate with
them.”
Spice Tree Organics
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@SPICETREEORGANICS
Photos courtesy of Lion City Coffee
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Photos via Instagram/@spicetreeorganics Photo courtesy of Spice Tree Organics
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