On December 5th, 2023, Waseem Elaibi opened Stop By Bakery & Deli at 8245 SE Division Street near Portland Community College’s southeast campus. The owner and chief baker migrated from Iraq in 2016, bringing traditional baking skills first honed in his youth. The menu features halal-compliant foods and many freshly baked items, including samoon, an Iraqi bread enjoyed by many cultures throughout neighboring regions.
Stop By Bakery & Deli is Elaibi’s first restaurant, although he worked as a baker early in his career. Before moving to the United States with his family, he worked with electronics, repairing phones in Iraq. Elaibi explained that as technical jobs became more scarce, he saw an opportunity to rekindle his commercial cooking know-how. Finding affordable rent in a former Mexican restaurant on SE Division Street, he opened his bakery with what he believes are the town’s finest halal dishes made with the freshest ingredients, enhanced by his flavorful sauces. Stop By Bakery creates organic bread and other baked goods from this location, giving customers access to recipes developed before mass production altered the way people cook.
Since opening, Elaibi has updated the menu to accommodate customer requests. Although he enjoys cooking the gyros, kebabs, and other dishes, he hopes to hire more kitchen staff to bolster the offerings. For now, he is focusing on creating fresh bakery goods, including a well-reviewed baklava. People can also purchase dried goods at Stop By Bakery & Deli, and they accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefit cards. Waseem Elaibi invites people to come to try his signature bread from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. He thinks there is a good chance new customers will experience unique dishes that some guests may have never experienced before and perhaps find new favorites.
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