In a world filled with 80 million displaced people, Beautiful Day is an oasis for paid on-the-job training for refugees who land in Rhode Island; its popular granola helps educate customers. One of its lesser-known products, Saad’s Hummus, is made by Syrian immigrant Saad Awad. This legendary hummus, as well as his baba ghanoush and baklava, created a dedicated clientele for his Narragansett restaurant, Markos Kabob and More, between 2006 and 2018.

Saad has been with Beautiful Day for six years; he’s now the production and training manager. A native of Damascus, Saad still has family in Syria, and his empathy for the trainees runs deep: “The respect, the attention, the love we show to them has a huge impact in their lives. It’s so meaningful to be here.”

And Saad still loves to cook and make his special hummus. In his culture, he explains, the men are always involved in the cooking, especially for holidays. He credits a lengthy blending time, a generous amount of lemon juice and no preservatives in Saad’s Hummus for its can’t-stop-eating-it deliciousness.

Available for pickup at Beautiful Day and at farmers markets and retailers around the state. Shop and find local locations at BeautifulDayRI.org.