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A mile-long stretch along Brookhurst Street, from Ball Road to Broadway, is one of Anaheim’s most diverse enclaves—home to more than 100 small businesses ranging from halal meat markets and bakeries to salons and cafes. Nearly all of them share a common thread: they are primarily operated by Arabic-speaking families.
Located just 10 minutes from the Disneyland Resort, this corridor—officially designated as Little Arabia in 2022—is the first formally recognized Arab American urban district in the U.S., according to the city of Anaheim.
“This neighborhood is really a cultural destination in our city,” former Mayor Tom Tait once said.
As such, Anaheim officials are making efforts to spotlight the district’s rich diversity and entrepreneurial spirit.
“Little Arabia has always been part of my Anaheim, and gaining recognition has been a passion of mine both as a daughter of Anaheim and as mayor,” Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said during the 2025 Anaheim State of the City on April 29.
City spokesperson Mike Lyster said that the businesses of Little Arabia are stars of the corridor, driving growth in the area.
“The city will also work to promote it as part of our visitor economy,” Lyster said.
Anaheim believes Little Arabia’s economic outlook is promising, citing “low vacancy rates and low asking lease rates” in a 2023 study and market analysis of the district and broader Brookhurst area by consulting firm Dudek. The report found “robust” rent growth between 2017 and 2022, suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic had only a limited impact on the corridor. Since Little Arabia’s designation, rents are rising—moving upwards by about 3% from 2022 to 2023, the report stated.
Early Entrepreneurs Paved the Way for Little Arabia
Many of the area’s businesses predate the official designation.
Longtime locals point to early pioneers such as Sammy and Noha Khouraki’s Altayebat Market and Kareem’s Falafel as some of the first businesses to define the area.
The district continues to evolve, with food truck concepts turning into grocery stores and mall kiosks maturing into brick-and-mortar storefronts.
The Dudek study even recommended Anaheim consider first-generation business owners before leasing to larger, big-box chains.
“That’s what Little Arabia is in many ways—a stepping stone,” Amin Nash, policy & research coordinator of the Arab American Civic Council, told the Business Journal.
Religious holidays such as Ramadan generate a surge in foot traffic and sales to the district, while out-of-state visitors routinely flock to the area for hard-to-find halal ingredients and cuisine.
Business owners like Nader Hamda of Forn Al Hara say product value plays a key role in drawing crowds, with prices often lower than those found in cities like Corona and San Diego.
Still, the journey to official recognition wasn’t quick. It took more than two decades for the city to formally acknowledge the district.
“The community had to push a lot to get this,” Nash said, adding that Little Arabia represents many “American immigrant stories” of families striving to establish a foothold in the U.S.
Now, Anaheim sees Little Arabia as central to the revitalization of the Brookhurst corridor.
Earlier this year, the city installed freeway signs along the Santa Ana (5) and Riverside (91) freeways, along with lamppost banners—small but significant steps toward driving awareness and tourism to the area. n Sara Shirazian contributed to this article.
Sparking a Cultural Hub
When half the businesses at a small outdoor mall at the corner of Brookhurst Street and Orange Avenue went up in flames in 2006, brothers Mohammad and Ahmad Alam saw potential where others saw ruin.
Ahmad Alam originally purchased the property in 1996 and his brother, who founded Forn Al Hara bakery and restaurant, later became a co-owner. Both were key figures in shaping what is now known as Little Arabia—Anaheim’s formally recognized Arab American district.
The Alam family is widely regarded as one of the area’s originators, helping spark the transformation of the corridor into a cultural hub. They also ran the Arab American Festival from 1997 to 2014.
The mall, formerly known as Brookhurst Plaza, was previously a mix of restaurants and retailers. After the fire, many of the owners chose to move away, and Alam took the opportunity to invite Arab and Middle Eastern business owners to join his tenant roster.
Before this time, Ahmad Alam had started The Arab World newspaper to spread the word about Little Arabia. It was their vision to bring more Arab Americans from all over the U.S., from Michigan and New Jersey, to gather in Anaheim. Alam started calling the shopping center Little Arabia.
This led to new owners acquiring neighboring shopping centers, and opening restaurants and markets that anchored the district as it grew.
Mohammad Alam was previously operating Tripoli Pastry up until the five and then decided to turn it into Forn Al Hara to replace a similar concept that moved down the street. He invited his nephew Nader Hamda, who moved to Orange County from Boston, to help run the restaurant. It is best known for making manaeesh, flat bread with various toppings.
Nearby tenants include Yemeni restaurant House of Mandi, Jenin Meat Market, Kababji Subs & Snacks and Jamila Juice.
Hamda now manages Forn Al Hara and the property with Mohammad Alam after Ahmad Alam retired and moved back to Lebanon in 2012, though he still returns once a year to visit.
Others such as the Arab American Civic Council continued his mission, according to Hamda.
“Whatever we dreamed, those guys made it,” Hamda told the Business Journal.
In 2022, he was able to send a picture of the designation certificate from the city to his uncle Ahmad, who almost cried over the phone.
“The only thing we need (now) is support from other people,” Hamda added. — Emily Santiago-Molina
Little Arabia’s First Restaurant
Kareem’s Falafel, which opened in 1996, was among the first businesses to put Little Arabia on the map, according to owner Kareem Hawari.
His parents who founded the restaurant, named the concept after him.
“I was raised watching my parents cook,” he told the Business Journal. “We were the first Arab restaurant on the street.”
Today, Hawari notes how the area has evolved. “In the past, it was kind of one culture, but now, there’s a lot more than there was before. You go down the street, there’s so much influence from Turkish to Lebanese—everyone does their own kind of specialty,” he said. When he inherited the restaurant in 2014, Hawari said he had to learn quickly how to be a restaurateur. “
You hear the statistics of how many restaurants close ever year,” he said. “But it all goes back to our roots: fresh food comes first.”
When it comes to the menu, Hawari said he’s tried to tweak the menu to cater to different demographics. What customers order often surprise him.
“We’ll have Arabs order things that are more Americanized, and then you have it flipped. Americans coming in to order Arab breakfasts,” Hawari said. “We’ve been able to bridge this gap.”
Hawari has also extended the food outside the restaurant, selling mixes of his father’s falafel recipe in nine grocery stores across California. The mix is also supplied to restaurants.
His father, who passed away in 2014, previously sold the mix in deli containers to nearby Super King Markets. “
His last words were ‘Don’t change the recipe,’”
Hawari said. Hawari set up production and distribution in the space next door to the restaurant.
“I’m trying to grow the business that way,” he said. “It’s my dad’s legacy, but then also, (it) proves a point that falafel shouldn’t be made with powder.”