Baba's Bakery

Baba’s Bakery is a Palestinian-American bakery at 1019 E 63rd St in Kansas City, Missouri — the “sweet little extension” of the acclaimed Baba’s Pantry next door, occupying a separate space connected by an arched doorway and run by the same Kamal family.¹²³ Opened with a soft launch in late December 2024, it is led by siblings Yasmine “Juju” Kamal and Omar Kamal and serves Palestinian sweets — baklava, knafeh, warbat, and fusion creations like “Baba-nolis.”²³ Tier 1: a Palestinian immigrant family’s owner-operated bakery, a heritage-rooted offshoot of their flagship deli — the deepest expression of pride and dedication to roots the Registry’s top tier measures.

Description

Baba’s Bakery is a Palestinian-American bakery at 1019 E 63rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri, occupying the storefront directly next door to Baba’s Pantry, with an arched doorway connecting the two spaces.¹² The bakery space had sat vacant for roughly two decades before the Kamal family spent about 18 months cleaning and renovating it ahead of opening.³ The business describes itself as “our sweet little extension of the Pantry,” focused on sharing Palestinian culture through the family’s baked goods.⁴

The bakery’s menu centers on Palestinian sweets — baklava (including chocolate variations), knafeh (a sweet-cheese dessert under crispy shredded pastry), and warbat (phyllo-and-cream pastries) — alongside fusion creations such as pistachio cinnamon rolls, black sesame and turmeric cookies, citrus–olive-oil cake, and “Baba-nolis,” cream-filled phyllo shaped like Italian cannoli.²³ Head baker Omar Kamal frames the concept as deliberately not purely traditional: “We wouldn’t say we’re a traditional bakery. We’re American Palestinians.”³ The bakery operates Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm, hours the business still describes as a soft opening with plans to expand.²⁴

Ownership and history

Baba’s Bakery is owned and operated by the Kamal family, the same Palestinian immigrant family behind Baba’s Pantry, the Palestinian-American deli and market that opened next door in 2021 and was named one of Bon Appétit’s 10 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. in 2022.¹³ The bakery grew directly out of the pantry’s success — particularly the popularity of desserts like baklava that the family had been making at the deli.³

Day-to-day baking is led by siblings Yasmine Kamal — known as “Juju,” the head baker — and Omar Kamal, whose pastries reflect their American-Palestinian upbringing.³ Family member Kamal Kamal also helps run the bakery and describes Palestinian dessert as “a melting pot… Turkish influence, Persian influence and African influences.”¹ The bakery held its soft opening the weekend before December 30, 2024, and was reported as officially open in early 2025.¹³ Baba’s Bakery is a distinct concept and space — separate name, separate room, separate bakers and hours — but shares the 1019 E 63rd St address and Kamal-family ownership with Baba’s Pantry; the two are cross-linked rather than duplicated. See babas-pantry for the family’s fuller history.

Links

• Website: https://www.babaspantrykc.com (Baba’s Bakery is featured on the Baba’s Pantry site)
• Listings: https://www.instagram.com/babaspantrykc · https://www.facebook.com/Babaspantrykc · https://www.yelp.com/biz/babas-pantry-kansas-city

Sources

Disputes

None recorded.

See also

• babas-pantry

Footnotes

1. Kansas City Magazine — “Baba’s Bakery Is Officially Open” — https://kansascitymag.com/babas-pantry-is-opening-a-bakery/ — asserts: bakery at 1019 E 63rd St in the space directly adjacent to Baba’s Pantry, connected by an arched doorway; Kamal family operates it; Kamal Kamal helps run it; soft opening the weekend before Dec 30, 2024; Saturday 11am–3pm hours; baklava and knafeh on menu; parent restaurant’s Bon Appétit recognition. Accessed 2026-06-06. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Kansas City Magazine / search corroboration — https://kansascitymag.com/babas-pantry-is-opening-a-bakery/ — asserts: signature items include baklava, warbat, and “Baba-nolis” (phyllo-cream cannoli shapes); rotating menu reflecting Omar and Yasmine’s upbringing; soft-opening Saturdays 11am–3pm with plans to expand by March. Accessed 2026-06-06. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. KCUR — “Kansas City welcomed Baba’s Pantry with open arms. A bakery now shows off Palestinian treats” — https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2025-01-31/babas-pantry-bakery-kansas-city-palestinian-food — asserts: Yasmine (“Juju”) and Omar Kamal run the bakery; located next door to Baba’s Pantry (opened 2021); adjacent space vacant ~two decades, renovated over ~18 months; menu includes chocolate baklava, knafeh, warbat, pistachio cinnamon rolls, black sesame/turmeric cookies, citrus–olive-oil cake, “Baba-nolis”; Omar’s “We’re American Palestinians” quote. Accessed 2026-06-06. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. Baba’s Pantry / Baba’s Bakery official website — https://www.babaspantrykc.com/ — asserts: bakery described as “our sweet little extension of the Pantry”; hours “Saturday & Sunday 11am–3pm”; same 1019 E 63rd St location; serves “sweet and savory favorites alongside new creations.” Accessed 2026-06-06. ↩ ↩²