But they’ve navigated the path with grit and determination. They are now enjoying the rewards of a stylish new spot on Biltmore Avenue, where food fans can find breakfast, lunch and dinner options as well as fresh-baked desserts and an impressive catering menu.

“Together, we are doing what we love: creating nourishing food and feeding our community,” Laura says. “Every day, we are choosing to show up for ourselves, our staff and our community. Every day, we choose to create and be present.”

Laura and Brian Smith at the new location of Baba Nahm in downtown Asheville. Photo by Kristina Valdiviezo.

Brian and Laura first met at a Mediterranean restaurant known as Rezaz in Historic Biltmore Village, starting as a cook and pastry chef, respectively, before buying the restaurant in 2015.

Seeing an opportunity for more “fast casual” Middle Eastern fare, they then opened Baba Nahm in 2017. Baba Nahm, originally located in the Grove Arcade, became known for a quick and fresh counter-service menu, with popular staples like falafels and shawarma attracting a steady crowd of locals and tourists.

The place was consistently hopping but the size of the kitchen limited output, and so Laura and Brian sought larger digs to once again flex their creativity in the kitchen. Once they discovered that the former location of City Bakery in downtown Asheville was available—a beautiful café space at 60 Biltmore Avenue—they moved quickly to lock it in.

In April, they reopened Baba Nahm—and for a couple who have spent nearly every day of the last decade cooking for Asheville, the opening could not have come too soon.

“We had to be resilient together,” Laura says. “We kept pushing and remembering our dream. It took longer than we expected and there were many hurdles that we had to overcome, but we did it.”

In addition to offering table service, the larger space also paved the way for an expanded menu. Breakfast now features fresh-basked seasonal muffins and Turkish bagels with honey cream cheese, while weekly specials include Baba Nahm’s popular lamb and beef meatballs and Greek-style wraps with chicken kabobs. And don’t skip the falafels, named by Yelp as one of the top 50 falafels in North America.

For those interested in catering, check out their options for special events, both big and small, and corporate gatherings.

“Asheville is such a foodie town,” Laura says, “and it’s an honor to be a part of it.”