Hummus Home brings vegan meals to the South Side-The Brown and White

All family members bicker — for the Hechme spouse and children, it is difficult not to when you stay and run a cafe alongside one another. 

The Hechme loved ones operates Hummus Household. Restaurant proprietor Albert, his spouse and head cook Samar, and their son Anthony form a team that enjoys to make and share foods.

Albert Hechme reported this like is clear in each individual bite.

Hummus Dwelling is a Mediterranean eatery on East Third Street in South Bethlehem. The cafe specializes in vegan and vegetarian foodstuff but also serves meat-based mostly dishes. 

The Hechme household opened the original Hummus Dwelling on Jan. 16, 2014, in Allentown.

Prior to Hummus Residence, Albert Hechme labored in photography for pharmaceutical companies. Recognizing he was burnt out from 12 years of touring throughout the nation for do the job, Albert Hechme said he determined to swap professions and kick-get started a family members organization.

“We constantly had it in the again of our head,” Albert Hechme explained. “Me and my wife have been like, ‘You know what, let’s just give it a consider, and if it doesn’t operate, we’ll go on to a thing else.’ It is been almost 10 many years now.”

In November 2021, the Hechme family members relocated to South Bethlehem for additional place in hopes of growing the restaurant’s menu. Albert Hechme mentioned he was hopeful that, with the universities and hospitals in the area, the new site would bring in a new, substantial shopper base.

Considering the fact that the transfer, the Hummus Property menu has expanded from 10 to pretty much 40 items.

Hummus House’s web site defines the company as a “restaurant/deli” but Anthony Hechme reported he doesn’t like to outline the spot as any one sort of eatery.

“It’s not a cafe, it’s not fast food, it’s not a deli,” Anthony Hechme reported. “It’s just excellent, handheld food items.”

When Hummus Household initial opened, the restaurant served generally Mediterranean food items. As the company started to see an influx of vegan and vegetarian prospects, Hummus Dwelling commenced presenting far more plant-centered selections.

Anthony Hechme claimed they initially tried to fuse the new plant-dependent dishes with their present Mediterranean types, but the moment Past Meat and other identical items came out in 2012, he begun “going crazy” with creating new vegan dishes.

“When all of that commenced, we just continued to experiment with it and new strategies stored coming,” Anthony Hechme said. “We just held accomplishing extra and additional.”

Albert Hechme said the household has viewed as generating the restaurant 100% plant-primarily based, but lots of prospects have reported they get pleasure from currently being ready to have meals with pals who really do not share the similar diet program. 

Regardless of getting a vegetarian, Anthony Hechme is the major creator of all of Hummus House’s objects — the two plant- and meat-centered. 

Anthony Hechme stated he bases lots of of the menu suggestions off of common, harmful American foods, but finds a way to make them health-consciously. He claimed Hummus Dwelling strives to provide meals that prioritize the two well being and freshness.

“We do everything from scratch,” Albert Hechme claimed. “We never pre-make our salads. We don’t chop our salads and have it completely ready in case anyone orders it. So when you come in and you buy a Mediterranean salad, it’s shredded, chopped up and made for you fresh new.”

Hummus Household also features an considerable list of juices and smoothies. Stephanie Vega, head cashier and waitress, thinks this is one particular of the things that sets Hummus Home apart from other dining places.

“Not everybody has new juices that are actually refreshing,” Vega claimed.

She stated Hummus Household stands out on the South Side by staying the only vegan or vegetarian cafe.

There are a handful of other vegan restaurants in the surrounding region, but Anthony Hechme reported he doesn’t really feel as nevertheless he’s in opposition with any of them.

“When it comes to levels of competition, I just try out to continue to be to myself and remain forward of myself,” Anthony Hechme explained. “We’re so distinctive that I do not believe we have a competitiveness.”

Among its sizable menu and easy location, Hummus Dwelling is getting to be a regular location for some Lehigh college students.

George Merrifield, ‘23, stated he was intrigued to check out Hummus Household because of the restaurant’s welcoming aesthetic. He to start with frequented the restaurant during his junior 12 months and has returned lots of situations.

Merrifield mentioned he endorses Hummus Property to his peers and is thrilled it is gaining traction.

“I discuss a lot with my pals about how I come to feel like Bethlehem is a bit of a meals desert,” Merrifield stated. “It’s great to have some bigger-excellent possibilities, even if that is not in the kind of groceries, but just in the variety of takeout.”

Emma Moriarty, ‘25, said she finds Hummus House to be the most vegetarian-helpful cafe about Lehigh since of the wide variety of meat choices they provide.

As a vegetarian, she stated it can be tricky to discover dining establishments that not only go well with her dietary desires but also present excellent high-quality foods at sensible selling prices.

“There have been a great deal of soy-based mostly alternate options for a great deal of the meat solutions that they had,” Moriarty said. “I considered that was fairly amazing. I really don’t see that in other destinations close to here.”

Anthony Hechme said customers really should expect new items from Hummus Household in the potential.

“We are evolving,” Anthony Hechme mentioned. “We are shifting. We’ve under no circumstances stopped. There’s a whole lot much more to expect and a ton a lot more to appear.”