OUR STORY

Soomsoom Pita Pockets was founded in 2014 by chef Oren Wais and his wife, Yael Lazar. The duo originally moved to Durham in 2012 from Tel Aviv temporarily for Lazar to pursue her PhD at Duke University. Wais became entrenched in the food culture in Durham working in the kitchens of local establishments Nana's and Piedmont before launching Soomsoom Pita Pockets in October 2014. After operating the truck for four years, Wais and Lazar returned to Israel post-graduation to pursue other culinary ventures.

In 2018, Soomsoom Pita Pockets joined the Cast Iron Group right before Oren Wais and family left Durham to move back to their hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel. Hoping to see their popular truck and rapidly growing catering business continue to flourish in the Durham food community, Wais approached Cast Iron Group founders, Nick Hawthorne-Johnson and Rochelle Johnson, with the opportunity to acquire ownership of the business.  

Soomsoom now operates out of The Cookery’s commissary kitchen on West Chapel Hill Street in Durham.