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Good morning neighbors, and welcome to Season 3 of the Forever Neighbor Podcast!

We are delighted to share our conversation with Reem Assil, founder of nationally-acclaimed Reem’s California (2901 Mission St @ 25th St), an Arab bakery and restaurant that builds community across cultures and experiences through the warmth of Arab bread and hospitality.

Her team recently announced their next venture: a flagship bakery and cafe in Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. In keeping with her community oriented values, Reem has pioneered a decolonized funding model in partnership with WeFunder, inviting members of her community to invest as little as $100 to bring her new concept to life, and help reshape this historic Oakland neighborhood.

Many people know Reem from her incredible restaurants, multiple James Beard award nominations, or her IACP award-winning cookbook Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora (2022). Amidst all these achievements, what sticks out most to us is Reem’s humanity, warmth, humility, leadership, and vulnerability. 

The Bay Area is so lucky to have her, and we are so grateful she agreed to sit down with us.

Produced by Daniel Blacktree and Ramzi Budayr.