DEARBORN — In the last few months, several new yogurt establishments have opened shop in the Dearborn-Dearborn Heights area, making it the hottest, and latest, business trend that local Arab American entrepreneurs seem to be wanting a piece of. 

However, whenever a new business trend emerges in the Arab American community, it seems to be followed by some sort of backlash that emerges as well. Some community members claim that Arab Americans take ideas from one another, and others even suggest that when businesses are too similar to each other, it ends up hurting all parties involved.

No shortage of opinion exists on the popular Dearborn Area Community Members Facebook Page, where hundreds of local Arab Americans post and comment about hot news on a daily basis.  Opinions seem to vary whenever a new business opens its doors. Last month, when another yogurt establishment announced its grand opening, the reaction from community Facebook users was mixed.

“…If you want to open a business and be successful right away, don’t open up in Dearborn, because someone is going to steal your idea and open up right down the street,” said one local Facebook user.

But not everyone shared the same sentiments.

“Let capitalism do its job…In the end, we the customers will get lower prices and more options. Competition made this country what it is,” said another Facebook user.

If you ask Mike Nasser, owner of YogurTown, the first business that kicked off the self serve yogurt craze in Dearborn, about the matter, he believes that competition may actually be healthy for his business. YogurTown first opened its doors in January on Michigan Avenue, after Nasser moved back to Michigan from Arizona, where he had picked up on that particular business model, which has been thriving in western states since about 2007.

“I believed in this business since day one, and a lot of people doubted me,” Nasser says. “It’s the new trend, and we just have to get on this wave and ride it. To me, competition is healthy and good. It also helps that we were the first…but at the end of the day, you have to focus on your own business, and we still offer the best quality yogurt,” he added. 

In January, Nasser told The Arab American News that once his business on Michigan Avenue was up-and-running, he planned on expanding it to include more locations. He says that this is still a part of his plan, despite the competition that has emerged locally in the last couple months.  This competition includes YogurTopia, which recently opened right across the street from his business, and Sweet Cravings in Dearborn Heights. 

Another current trend is Japanese cuisine, mostly sushi, which has been a hot commodity among younger Arab Americans, who have become more health conscious over the years. 

While Japanese cuisine restaurants have always been present locally, they remained under the radar for a while. Some claim that it wasn’t until Kabuki Japanese Restaurant opened its doors on Michigan Avenue, just a few years ago, when the craze really kicked in.

Since then, a handful of Arab American business owners have followed suit with a similar business model to Kabuki, which has been attracting younger Arab Americans on a daily basis. Some Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah lounges have even incorporated sushi into their menus as well. 

Fay Beydoun, the Executive Director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, says that the sushi craze is large enough to allow the wealth to be shared among business owners.

“I don’t think it hurts the economy at all. Right now sushi is one of the most sought after foods, so to have more than one restaurant only makes sense. I’m sure that if the restaurants weren’t succeeding, they wouldn’t be open for long. People are more cautious of what they are eating, so it makes sense to see similar trends popping up,” Beydoun said.

However, an arguably unhealthy trend also continues to dominate the Arab American business community these days. 

It is no secret that hookah lounges are a dime a dozen in this area. If someone were to Google “local hookah lounges in the Dearborn-Dearborn Heights region,” over 20 locations pop up.

Hookah lounges, which are a local business trend that began emerging about ten years ago, really hit their stride in the late 2000’s. Some predicted that a smoking ban, enforced by the State in 2011, would have marked the beginning of the end of this craze, but that does not appear to be the case.

The smoking ban, which prohibited businesses from allowing hookah to be sold in the same establishment that food was served, only led Arab business owners to be more creative. They have found unique and creative ways to remain within the guidelines of the law. Some have expanded their lounges to include outdoor seating, while others now serve their food in take-out containers.

One Arab American business owner, who wished to remain anonymous, but operates a local business, suggested that Arab business owners should look beyond the Dearborn-Dearborn Heights region, if they want to open an innovative business, so that certain business trends aren’t congested in one area. 

However, it appears that many Arab American entrepreneurs are already opening up hookah lounges, restaurants and pharmacies in areas like Downtown Detroit, Livonia, Canton and Ann Arbor. Some have even re-located to Toledo, Ohio, in an attempt to get as far away as possible from Dearborn.  

“Arab Americans have a very entrepreneurial mindset,” Beydoun says. “They are always looking at trends, and trying to apply whatever skills they may have to that trend. From restaurants, to a variety of them getting involved in shipping cars overseas and doing exporting, their business mindset varies tremendously.”