Our Story

Our Little Story

Learn from the road

It’s been our motto since we started making hummus in 2016 in a 500 square-foot pop-up in Washington, DC.

Ronen and Nick met as fine dining cooks in some of the best restaurants in New York City over a decade ago. They became fast friends because they shared the same values; make delicious food and have fun doing it.

Little Sesame was born to do both, and let people in on the fun. We’ve traveled the country in our vintage VW cooking for friends, meeting farmers, and teaching kids (always with hummus in tow). We’re just getting started, and can't wait to see where the road takes us.

Try Our Hummus!

Our flagship restaurant is located in the heart of Washington DC, serving up our signature freshly-spun hummus. This is our test kitchen, where we get to try new things and push the envelope of what’s possible.

Our hummus is now sold in thousands of stores across the country. We’re proud to work with some of the best retailers in the game, big chains and indie stores that serve their communities the best quality food.

2010

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

Started on the fish station

Nick and Ronen met working on the fine dining circuit in NYC. Ronen trained Nick on the fish station. They bonded over cooking, but they really connected about life. They’re still the best of friends – who love to cook on fire, dance to good music, and of course, make good hummus.

The pop-up that could

Ronen would often visit Nick in DC. On his first trip, they tested over twenty different tahini samples together sourced from around the world. After months of research and development, Little Sesame was born, and with it their signature freshly spun hummus.

The VW: Nostalgic Fun

In 2017, Ronen and Nick happened upon a 1976 VW Camper van. Within a few weeks, the van landed in DC, marking the beginning of an era for Little Sesame. Nick & Ronen traveled on their first road trip up the East Coast, getting inspired on the road for the upcoming opening of their debut restaurant.

The restaurant opens

The flagship restaurant finally opened its doors in September 2018. Lines poured out the day on the first day. The hummus was flowing. The tunes were jamming. The vibes were good!

Road trip of our dreams

After VW caught wind of our travels, they decided to jump in on the fun and power us on a big West Coast road trip. We assembled a group of friends (film makers, photographers, cooks) and hit the road to our chickpea farm in Montana. Over the course of 20 days, we had the trip of a lifetime, meeting friends, cooking in surreal settings, and pouring our hearts out on the road.

When the pandemic hit…

In 2020, the pandemic hit and our world got turned upside down. But we did what we knew best—we cooked. Our whole team rallied and we ended up serving 100,000 free meals to our community in DC. At the same time, we built a lab in the back of the restaurant and prepared our hummus for grocery store shelves which made its debut at Whole Foods Market in July 2021.