Afia, a Mediterranean food company headquartered in Austin, Texas, driven by a mission to make food powerful, has released new brand positioning, packaging and identity. Launched in 2017 at a farmers’ market, the company has grown distribution 340% percent in the last year and now is available at over 800 retail locations nationwide.
Afia currently sells five different SKUs of frozen kibbeh and falafel at retailers including Amazon, Farmhouse Delivery, H-E-B, Sunbasket, Walmart and on Afiafoods.com. In addition, Afia took a $1 million Series A round from a venture capital firm in 2020, positioning it for the next phase of growth.
In May, Afia reached a milestone with it’s first retail partner, H-E-B, and was awarded the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Million Dollar Club honor.
Farrah Moussallati Sibai, who is of Syrian and British descent, founded the company with her husband, Yassin Sibai, using the little black recipe book that her mother-in-law brought with her when she came to America during the Syrian war. Moussallati Sibai herself had endured personal tragedy and great loss before resettling in Austin and missed the flavors of home. Afia’s products reflect that journey by infusing the meals of Moussallati Sibai’s past with modern flavors, using quality, whole food ingredients.
“I wanted our new packaging to have a feel for my heritage and be bright and modern just like our products, which are a fusion of our generations-old traditional recipes mixed with modern flavors,” says CoFounder and President Farrah Moussallati Sibai.
The new identity takes inspiration from traditional Arabic tiles and their super-saturated colors, then uses bold fonts and icons to create a more modern aesthetic. They will introduce a new tagline “Mediterranean More Often” and will focus on the brand’s mission and Moussallati Sibai’s non-fairytale origin story. Austin-based creative agency Preacher led the rebranding work.
Afia, which launched at one farmers’ market, found its first distribution at H-E-B in 2019 and proudly became one of H-E-B’s Supplier Diversity- Supplier of the Year award recipients. The company was also awarded one of the Chobani Incubator brands that same year.
Afia is dedicated to nourishing the community through more than food. Beyond regular donations to local food banks, Afia is committed to supporting their local community of refugees through employment and mentoring.
About Afia
Afia, which means “to your health” in Arabic, is a Mediterranean food company headquartered in Austin, Texas, driven by a mission to make food powerful. Founded by Farrah Moussallati Sibai, who had resettled in Texas after enduring great personal tragedy and loss in Syria, Afia’s products infuse the meals of her past with modern flavors. Using her mother-in-law's little black book of old Syrian family recipes, Moussallati Sibai began selling Afia’s signature frozen falafel and kibbeh at one farmers’ market in 2017. Afia proudly became one of H-E-B’s Supplier Diversity Supplier of the Year award recipient and a Chobani’s Incubator brand, both in 2019. Today, Afia offers five different products at more than 800 locations nationwide and online. Afia is dedicated to nourishing the community through more than food. Beyond regular donations to local food banks, Afia is committed to supporting their local community of refugees through employment and mentoring.
