DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Metro Detroiters looking for Middle Eastern-inspired desserts often end up at Booza Delight.
"So Booza is an Arabic name for Ice Cream. So, when you are overseas, and you say you wanna eat ice cream... we say you want to Booza?!" said May.
Owned by husband-and-wife duo, May & Yasser Hashwi, the Dearborn Height's shop is known for its Ashta.
"Ashta is like a stretchy ice cream. It doesn't really melt right away," May said.
After finding himself jobless during the pandemic, Yasser started making Ashta for his wife, which led them to Booza Delight. In 2020, May & Yasser sold desserts from home. A year later, they opened this place.
Now they have about 70 dessert items on the menu.
"We grew really fast," Yasser said. "I mean I really love America, and I love Lebanon. And I've been living here more than I've been living in Lebanon. So I do give a whole respect to United States. If I wasn't here, I wouldn't be living how I am."
And there is a reason why this proud Lebanese-American couple is even more grateful than before.
"We flew on the 18th to Lebanon, and we were at the airport, and they told us the war is happening," May said.
It started with Southern Lebanon being bombed as Israeli forces targeted Hezbollah sites. A few days later, the fighting escalated to the country's capital, Beirut, with people fleeing for their lives.
"We seen people just parking on the side of the streets, with their kids. They're sleeping in their cars," May said.
"Especially in Lebanon, it's so hard to live there. You don't make money as you make here. So let's say you save all that money to have that house; they don't have insurance on it. So if that house was bombed.. That's it you are on the street," Yasser said.
"You were born and raised in Lebanon...you must have seen quite a few of these conflicts," I followed up with.
"Yes. They were bombing my area, and I was trying to run for my life in 1986. It was very scary, so when I see this happening... yeah it wasn't easy," May said.
May and Yasser had no choice but to fly back a week later. But with a greater purpose.
"When you came back, you had a new perspective on life?" I asked.
"Yes, trying to see how much I can do to help the people overseas.. Because I've seen it worse than what I have seen before," May said.
May and Yasser were already donating to people in Gaza. Now, they have donation boxes for Gaza and Lebanon, and part of their sales is also going towards humanitarian aid.
"Thank God, we live in the States, and I make a good living. That I can actually support and help our people, and I always say, the more money I make the more I can help people," Yasser said.
The fundraising aspect continues at Booza Delight, where folks can try multiple new desserts including Crunch Delight and Tiramisu Cake. To learn more, head to their Instagram page.
