Hailing from entrepreneurial families, Hanadi and Jamaal had always dreamed of owning their own business. Jamaal's mother, a master at baking delicious Mediterranean treats, graciously shared her secret family recipes with the two, and Hanadi and Jamaal got to work in the kitchen. While brainstorming names for their new venture, Hanadi and Jamaal combined their last names, Asad and Ali, to form "Asali." They quickly discovered that Asali is also the word for "sweets" and "honey" in both Arabic and Persian. The couple took this happy coincidence as a sign of good luck and, seeing an opportunity to seize their dream, Asali Desserts was officially founded in 2001. Since then, Asali has expanded to include specialty cakes and event services, providing their services and sweets to countless events of all sizes throughout the Triangle. (Go Pack!) They live with their five beautiful children near downtown Apex, North Carolina.
