Your hosts

Izat Eliyan

owner

Izat Eliyan graduated from Golden Gate University in 1995, with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. While getting his degree, Izat managed La Burrrita, with his brother Walid in 1993. While managing La Burrita, Izat became the owner of one of Berkeley’s oldest pizzerias, La Val’s, in 2000.

Inspired by his father, Izat ventured into the restaurant industry with the dreams bringing flavors of Palestine to the Bay Area. Izat established his first Middle Eastern restaurant, D’yar (loosely translated to “my homeland” in Arabic) in 2007. With the support of the community and D’yar’s popularity, Izat opened D’yar II in 2012. Izat designed the concept of Zaytoon with his brother Walid and friends Haitham & Walid, in 2014. He later opened Zaytoon in 2016.

Walid Eliyan

owner · sous chef

Walid Eliyan is part owner and sous chef at Zaytoon. He studied Small Business Management at San Francisco State University in 1980. In 1984, Walid marked his first experience in the food industry and opened North Point Deli in Fisherman’s Wharf. He sold North Point in 1988 and bought La Burrita on Euclid Avenue in Berkeley. That same year, Walid immediately opened E-Z Stop Deli on Shattuck. Walid decided to open a second La Burrita on Durant Avenue in 1989 with his hometown friend and college roommate Salam Nasser.

Walid left the US for Jordan in 1993, leaving his businesses to his youngest brother Izat. While in Jordan, Walid became a real estate developer and started a small building company. He returned to Albany in 2014 and decided that Albany would be a great location for a Mediterranean restaurant. He convinced Izat to purchase Solano Grill and Bar in 2015 and they created Zaytoon as an homage to their Mediterranean and Middle Eastern roots.

Haitham Salman

owner · executive chef

As a teenager, Haitham began waiting tables at King David Hotel in Jerusalem. In 1995, he studied computer engineering but left school to pursue his passion for cooking. He became the general manager of South Beach Restaurant in Tel Aviv in 1997. He spent much of his time as the general manager in the kitchen, creating new dishes inspired by his Palestinian roots. Haitham left Tel Aviv for the US and established roots in New York during the early 2000s. He became a chef at Zaytoons, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Brooklyn, and helped Zaytoons establish two locations in Prospect Heights. Haitham left the Big Apple and cooked at Alyans, a Mediterranean eatery in Philadelphia. In 2008, Haitham moved to the Bay Area to work with Izat and Walid to manage D’yar in Berkeley.

Haitham combines his love for Middle Eastern home cooking with the urban street fares of Tel Aviv, and works to elevate his appreciation for both worlds.

Salam Naser

owner · chef

Salam Nasser is part owner of Zaytoon. He emigrated from Palestine to Kuwait, where he spent most of his youth. He studied Business Administration at San Francisco State in 1980 and became college roommates with his childhood friend Walid. While in school, Salam worked several jobs (cab driver, grocery store clerk, and gas station attendant) to support himself financially.

In 1989, Salam reconnected with Walid and the two of them opened La Burrita. This was Salam’s first restaurant and he knew that there would be a learning curve in understanding the food industry. In 2008, Salam joined with Izat in opening D’yar II, where he spends much of his time operating.