Meet Nela Salehi Zara Salehi | Owners of Shirini Bakery

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nela Salehi Zara Salehi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nela Salehi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We didn’t start a business to just own a business. It was a natural byproduct of wanting to share our culture the best way we know how–through food. We had a delicious macaroon and we knew we had to share it with more than our friends and family. Having a business was our way of developing a creative outlet for ourselves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our bakery is unique to Atlanta as it’s first Persian-American fusion bakery. We’ve curated our dessert menu to be the perfect balance of Persian desserts with an American flare that everyone can enjoy. We also offer a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options so that just about anyone can indulge! We’re really proud of our rich culture and are grateful for this opportunity to share our heritage through our eyes.

It hasn’t been an easy journey, especially since our start was right before the pandemic hit. We’ve had to navigate around many obstacles, but it was easier since we had each other to keep ourselves on the right track. When one of us felt overwhelmed, the other was there to motivate and keep us moving forward. Shirini wouldn’t have been possible if it was just one of us! We keep each other balanced.

Our challenges provided many lessons and taught us how much we’re capable of. It also made us inseparable, which is crazy to think about since we were already so close!

Shirini looked a little different when we first started, but since our relaunch back in August of 2019 we’ve made our brand a reflection of ourselves! Our colorful palette is inspired by our favorite colors and has a heavy influence of our Persian heritage. Our entire menu is even curated around the American flavors and Persian dishes we grew up with.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmm…we really love the neighborhoods in Atlanta! While there are the traditional tourist go-to’s, such as Coca Cola and the Aquarium, there are some great spots all over. We’d start the day off by heading to Playa Bowls for a light and fruity breakfast on the Beltline, which is like a two-in-one deal because walking the Beltline is a must in Atlanta. After a day of hanging out there, we’d definitely have a night out at the Laughing Skull, because who doesn’t love to laugh? We’re also frequent visitors of Inman Park. One of our favorite Persian restaurants is located there–shout out to Delbar! Afterwards, we’d walk over to Char to finish off the night, because you can’t miss out on their upbeat atmosphere and cocktails. Atlanta has such a great food scene and it’s only getting better, so we love to wine and dine our friends from out of town!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our parents are our biggest inspiration, supporters, and motivators! As immigrants, this is the epitome of the American dream. Our father is an entrepreneur himself, so we have been able to look up to him as an example of what we want to be. Our mother taught us to be strong-minded and demand for the things we want in life. They taught us that life is only worthwhile when you take risks. Without their courage to take the leap to move to America, we wouldn’t be here to have the same opportunities! Overall, we’re beyond fortunate to have such a strong foundation of family and friends here in Atlanta!

Website: www.shirinibakery.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/shirinibakery

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/mwlite/company/shirinibakery

Twitter: www.twitter.com/shirinibakery

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shirinibakeryllc

Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/shirini-bakery

Other: www.pinterest.com/shirinibakery, TikTok: @shirinibakery

Image Credits
Ava Sinelli & Grant Burrows