High in the mountains of northern Lebanon, between flowering apple and fig trees and twisting rows of grapevines, four brothers, their mother and father and their younger sister decided to leave the only home they’d ever known for higher education and economic prosperity in America.

Founded 35 years ago by the Saleh brothers, Samir (Sam), Youssef (Joe), Mounir and DeGaulle, the Neomonde Baking Company tries to retain the same spirit and determination its founders possess.

According to Joe Saleh, the company’s dedication to excellence and authenticity began when the brothers were just boys in Lebanon. In the fall and summer, they worked in the family’s wheat fields, harvesting grain and taking it to be ground into meal at the town mill. Afterwards, they watched their mother, Cecilia, mix dough and bake the bread in the communal kiln. 

The oncoming Lebanese civil war — a conflict that lasted from 1975 until 1976 — ultimately put the Saleh family’s plan into action but not before changing it dramatically.

“Instead of coming as soon as we were all ready for college, we had to plan to leave at the same time,” Joe Saleh, the manager of the bakery side of the business, said. “So Sam and my dad were here and they contacted us when they were ready and the rest of us came. Except for my older sister — she stayed behind.”

With help from an uncle who was already in Raleigh, they opened shop in 1977 and decided to honor their new country by naming the business Neomonde, meaning “new world.”


Though all four brothers sought higher education upon arrival, only Mounir and DeGaulle graduated — from Campbell University and N.C. State, respectively. Both Sam and Joe took classes at N.C. State, Sam in marketing and Joe in accounting and business management, but they soon discovered the business was growing at a much faster rate than expected. 


The brothers’ uncle, an avid traveler, wanted to see more French cuisine in Raleigh, but, due to some unfortunate circumstances, the equipment for baguettes and croissants never arrived and the idea for pita was born. Luckily, they had brought with them a love of bread and, most importantly, their mother’s recipes.

“We landed on this idea for the bakery because we didn’t find the bread we used to eat every day,” Joe said. “There was no pita bakery between D.C. and Miami.”

The family started with basic equipment and all seemed to be on track. However, according to Joe, Cecilia was quick to point out the flaw in their plan — the Saleh men were not bakers.

“Sam and my uncle found a bakery in Brooklyn that made pita bread,” Joe said. “They went and spent about three weeks there. They had a lot to learn because mom actually makes the best pita.”


When Sam returned, the brothers were ready to get started. 


According to Joe, Neomonde’s reputation for quality preceded them as word caught on and grocery chains like Winn-Dixie and Big Star contacted the family to negotiate deals. The Irregardless Cafe also took notice of Neomonde and became the bakery’s first restaurant customer.


In 1987, the brothers expanded the business by opening a deli. Cecilia herself, using family recipes and only authentic ingredients, prepared most items displayed in the deli case.


“We started making what’s called, in the Lebanese cuisine, pies,” Joe said. “Soon people started to come here at lunchtime. Later, we added some popular dishes from the region.”

By popular demand, Mounir and Joe launched a small grocery so fans of the restaurant could purchase Lebanese staples and spices to prepare Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine themselves. In 2000, Neomonde opened a new establishment and relocated their wholesale baking facility and corporate offices to a 20,000-square-foot location in Morrisville. 

Today, Neomonde Baking Company produces more than 250 varieties of breads and pastries and the two restaurants serve about 750 diners daily.

“Life is not all about business, of course,” Joe said. “When you work hard in America you can get somewhere.”

To the Saleh family, Raleigh is more than just a place to live and carry out business. And as they enter the 35th year of operation, the Lebanese family who took a big risk still reflects on what has made the last three and a half decades so successful.

“In the dynamic of creating the place called home, the more family members there are, the deeper your roots are in that place,” Joe said. “All of these experiences, we will not ever forget.”