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Client Spotlight: Gibli Middle Eastern Fare
Diners at Gibli Middle Eastern Fare will tell you there’s nothing quite like enjoying some home cookin’ — even when “home” is more than 5,000 miles away.
The customers at Gibli, a restaurant in the Union Street Market at Fort Wayne’s Electric Works, are enjoying the culinary creations of Nesrin El Ghanoudi. Nesrin and her husband, Nizar Zumit, are business partners in Gibli with Martha Martin, and her husband, Rob Manlove. Their common bond is the north African nation of Libya.
Rob spent several of his childhood years in Libya, where his father was stationed at Wheelus Air Force Base, near Tripoli. Martha did her dissertation on Libya while earning a doctorate in international studies. They met, married, and by chance, became acquainted with the Zumit family when Nizar was studying for his MBA at Indiana Tech. After many years of friendship and spending time together, the families began brainstorming about opening a Libyan eatery.
“Libya’s population is comparable to Indiana’s — about six and a half million people,” Martha noted in a recent interview. “Libya was invaded by Italy prior to World War I and was occupied through World War II. As a result, modern Libyan cuisine is strongly influenced by Italian culinary traditions.”
“We’d always go over to eat at their house because hospitality is a key aspect of both Muslim culture and Libyan tradition,” Martha said of the Zumit family. “So in December of 2022 we were at their house for a holiday meal and I said, to Nesrin, just on a whim, ‘I love your baklava so much. I think I could help you sell it.’ And that was the beginning of Gibli.”
Martha has studied and worked throughout the world and has been an entrepreneur much of her life. In addition, being an educator, she operates a global business focused on international teacher recruitment and does overseas procurement for the oil and gas industry. As the Gibli concept was taking shape — “Gibli” is the name given to a strong, hot north African wind — she contacted the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC) for advice on the new business venture. None of the partners had experience in the restaurant industry, and the Union Street Market’s food court setting amplified their challenges.
“There are a lot of ways our business development has been touched by the NIIC,” Martha said. “It’s an amazing resource for the community. I have been supported by Angie Harrison and Leslee Hill, in particular. Mike Fritsch and the rest of the staff are encouraging voices of support. I can’t say enough about Electric Works, and I also credit Scott Fergusson, of Chapman’s Brewing, who has been incredibly valuable advising us on how to manage a restaurant effectively and achieve profitability.”
Martha and Rob handle Gibli’s back-office affairs, while the Zumits provide the dining experience. Nesrin’s father was a renowned restaurateur in Libya, and she has created a number of dishes based on his delicious recipes, using high-quality, traditional ingredients like lamb, chicken, and garbanzo beans for protein, and fresh vegetables — all prepared in accordance with religious and cultural requirements.
Martha said Nesrin’s menu approach “is the kind of food she normally serves at home,” adding that, “Our customers do love Gibli fare, because there are some dairy-free offerings and it’s very healthful, very much part of the Mediterranean diet.”
The Gibli partners have cooked up an intriguing addition to the area’s dining scene. Their vision and hard work, along with important guidance and support from NIIC staff, has been a recipe for success.
