When Jamal moved to the Omaha from his home country, Syria, in 2010, he connected with his newly made friends by sharing food from traditional recipes from his hometown, Aleppo, that he learned from his mom.

Over the years, Jamal developed a passion for cooking and learned how to make his favorite dishes from different international cuisines. The one constant that never changed is all the compliments Jamal always got for his food from friends and coworkers:

“I love your food, Jamal”; “This is the best hummus I have ever tasted”; “You should open up a restaurant!”

Jamal listened, mastered his kitchen craft, and in 2025 he left his career in academia and created Zaatar House LLC.

Zaatar is a mix named after one of its main ingredients, thyme “zaatar in Arabic.” Zaatar reminds Jamal of his home town, Aleppo, where the family gathered around the table every morning for breakfast, dipping pita bread in olive oil and zaatar mix and sipping tea with every bite.

As of today, Zaatar House is the only place in Omaha where you can get your favorite wood-fired zaatar pizzas. Try it once, and you will never want to stop.