By Jessica Easthope and John Alexander

BAY RIDGE — When you walk into the newly remodeled Mid-East Bakery, you’re struck by a mural behind the counter depicting a cedar tree with a cross of light in its trunk, surrounded by the bounties of Lebanon: bread, olives, and wheat.  

The shop also boasts brand-new display cases featuring an assortment of Lebanese-Syrian delicacies. Yet, it feels the same as always, with warm familial faces behind the counter and some of the most sought-after Near Eastern cuisine in the borough. But for the family behind the counter, Lebanon isn’t only a source of flavor and faith — it’s also a place they speak about with worry.  

As Mid-East Bakery marks 50 years in Bay Ridge, the family’s story reaches far beyond the display cases — back to a homeland they still cherish, and increasingly worry about, amid persecution of Christians and the threat of a wider U.S.-Iran conflict that has made parts of Lebanon feel uncertain.  

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The bakery has not only fed customers the finest Middle Eastern foods since 1976, but its owners, Marie and Tony Aflak, and its founders Antoine and Frangie Tabet (Marie’s parents) have been staples in the community, including at their home parish, Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Cathedral.   

Marie and Tony credit their faith for guiding them through the years.   

“Our Lady of Lebanon is our home away from home,” Marie said. “Being part of that culture and raising my kids in that culture means the world to me. The Lebanese are such loving and caring people, and I want my kids to grow up with all that.”   

“Without our faith and believing in God and the Church, we would not be where we are today,” Tony added.   

Marie and Tony have run Mid-East Bakery since 2019. Each year, they’ve continued the bakery’s tradition of donating food to the cathedral’s Easter and Christmas vigil, which they will do again this year for the 50th time.   

“I find both Marie and Tony to be wonderful, faithful parishioners, and we love having them and their sons, and we are very grateful for all that they do for the Church and for the community,” said Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, and pastor of the cathedral.   

John Abi-Habib, a parishioner at Our Lady of Lebanon who serves as New Jersey’s honorary consul general of Lebanon, said that when he craves zaatar bread, spinach pies, or kibbeh balls, he immediately heads to the Mid-East Bakery.  

“And add to that the fact that they have been catering events and giving to the Church and the community for all these years is remarkable,” Abi-Habib noted. “In fact, they never stopped giving back.”    

Even as they’ve established roots in Bay Ridge, the Aflak’s remain connected to Lebanon. Tony grew up in the Middle Eastern country but left during the civil war when he was 14. He permanently settled in Brooklyn in 2012. 

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He still visits his homeland whenever he gets the chance. But Tony said that worry has grown in recent years, both over pressure on Christians in Lebanon and because the current U.S.-Israel war with Iran has made much of the country unsafe.   

“Hopefully, one day, we will be able to go back and visit not just my home and where I grew up, but to travel through the whole of Lebanon, without risking going to certain areas because you are Christian,” he said. “We pray for peace where there would be no division between anyone of any religion or culture.” 

For Marie, taking over the bakery was a way to preserve an integral part of her life.  

“From when I was in a stroller, I would be here, and they would give me bread to keep me occupied while my parents served the customers,” Marie recalled. “So, I really grew up here. This is part of me. And when they retired, I just couldn’t let it go.”  

Not only did she preserve it, but, with Tony, she made it better. They both committed to making the bakery even more successful than it was. Marie went to culinary school to grow her knowledge, which allowed them to expand the menu from pita bread and dry goods to include delicacies like kibbeh, grape leaves, hummus, tabbouleh, spinach pies, meat pies, and baba ghanoush. 

Tony credits his wife and her family for building a staple in the community. 

“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my wife’s family, who established this business and built a loyal customer base that still comes in today asking about them,” he said. 

Marie is determined to keep her family’s Lebanese legacy alive. 

“My mother brought a beautiful piece of her culture into this neighborhood, and I am proud to continue sharing the traditions of Lebanese culture,” she said. “We are deeply grateful for all the support and blessings we have received over the years. 

“Everyone who walks through these doors is family.”