Immigrant brothers work as a doctor and lawyer, but at Lollapalooza they're the Donut Dudes
That fostered a love of donuts in the brothers, who also inherited an entrepreneurial streak from both their parents, and eventually led them to open Donut Dudes at 10301 S. Kedzie Ave. a few years ago in Mt. Greenwood. They've since expanded to a kiosk at 10559 S. Harlem Ave. in Chicago Ridge, and are regular vendors at Lollapalooza and Taste of Chicago.
Now, they're planning to open a new drive-thru business in Hometown at 87th Street and Pulaski Road.
All of that was in the future when Khader was in medical school and Moe was studying law.
Today Khader is an emergency physician at Northwestern Medicine Palos Health in Palos Heights and Moe has a solo practice in civil law, which includes contract disputes, promissory notes and leases. They grew up in the south suburbs, where Khader still lives, while Mohammed now lives in Darien.
Their donut shop has become a creative outlet to their busy and sometimes stressful professions. Their offerings include classic donuts as well as those topped with extra ingredients, such as the Oreo Overload and Strawberry Crumble. They also came up with Frost-Bites, which they describe as 'the Midwest's first hot pressed ice cream donut sandwich.'
They just started selling s'more donuts and are about to debut a tasty turkey/cheddar cheese sandwich on a yeast-raised ring donut.
'We didn't make our base extremely sweet, we made it more neutral,' Khader said about the donut sandwich. 'We could do it with English muffins, but that doesn't give you the same flavor.'
The Donut Dudes started thinking sweet during the pandemic, when both needed to isolate and wanted more than workouts and indoor entertainment.
'We were cooped up in the house, me and my siblings and we tried making donuts,' said Khader, who has two other brothers and seven sisters. 'We gave some to our cousins, friends, parents and everyone was giving us positive feedback.
'We tried a bunch of random, weird things. We tried making them fluffy, soft, we were very experimental with toppings, tried putting cookies or Reese's Pieces on donuts. We made one where we melted Jello on it,' he said.
Younger brother Ali was their expert taste tester, and they include him as a casual business partner.
But their desire for experimenting and getting creative with the little things started much earlier with their parents. Khader said their mother used to help them with their art and science projects.
'My mother (Dana) is a very creative woman,' said Moe, adding she also sews aprons, quilts and mittens. 'It was definitely a household that encouraged creative minds.'
Establishing themselves in their professions and then becoming business owners gave the brothers the confidence to branch out even further into new endeavors.
'I recently got into building this new gazebo in the backyard,' said Moe. 'I was never that type of person. Once you become an entrepreneur, it gives you that confidence you can try anything.'
Khader said his dad, Ahmad, encouraged him to go into medicine. An electrical engineer, his dad later went into business and realized that profession alone could be taxing.
'My family valued education,' added Khader. 'They always wanted us to do the best at school.
'I think especially as immigrants, one of the best ways to give yourself opportunity is through education,' Khader said.
Khader said they had found ways to avoid being too overwhelmed.
'I think it's perception … If you have the perception I'm doing what I want to do, that kind of changes it. We really want to see this business expand and grow. It's kind of our baby.'
Among the biggest Donut Dudes supporters are the Zahdan's friends and relatives.
'I'd frequent the establishment, even if he wasn't my friend,' said Jud Mustapha who lives in Orland Park and has known Khader for years. 'I actually worked at a Middle Eastern bakery before and have always been a fan of sweet things. Their donuts are phenomenal.'
Mustapha goes there once or twice a week, sometimes bringing his nieces and nephews.
'I like blueberry and red velvet but when taking nieces or nephews, the Cookie Monster or Strawberry Crumble are favorites,' he said. 'It's always helpful to have a cup of coffee there to keep my head up when I'm leaving with the young ones.'
Bridget Forbes, executive director of the Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association, recently went to the donut shop for the first time and came away impressed.
'Meeting Khader was like a warm sip of community spirit,' Forbes said. 'You can feel the passion he delivers at the store as well as in every bite and brew that is served.'
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