Little Sesame

"Nick Wiseman, who ran a Middle Eastern rotisserie chicken pop-up, Little Sesame, in Washington D.C.; it was an extension of the existing fast-casual concept by the same name." - ByMahira Rivers

"The retail hummus operation for budding fast-casual restaurant Little Sesame just got a major boost. Little Sesame, which makes blitzed chickpeas the focal point of its bowls and pitas, began selling three flavors of a new, packaged hummus at Whole Foods last week. The company, which touts itself as eco-friendly and sources all of its beans from a regenerative farm in Montana, has a deal with the grocery chain to enter 13 locations across the Mid-Atlantic." - Gabe Hiatt

"Fast-casual hummus and pita shop Little Sesame will open a months-long pop-up on the outskirts of D.C. next year that puts an emphasis on family-style, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chickens. Washingtonian reports the company is expanding away from downtown with a winter residency at Chevy Chase ice cream shop Sugar Fox, that will run from Wednesday, January 6, through Sunday, March 14. The pop-up (5027 Connecticut Avenue NW) will offer takeout and in-house delivery Wednesdays to Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. A representative for the company tells Eater the pop-up will also feature limited quantities of its classic hummus bowls as an off-menu item. The main attraction is a menu item Little Sesame introduced at its Chinatown shop this fall: whole- and half-portions of spit-roasted rotisserie chickens or spiced and marinated cauliflower. The poultry is raised humanely without hormones or antibiotics. Sides like maple roasted carrots and rotisserie potatoes with drippings are available for $5 a piece. They come with family-style chicken or cauliflower meals for two to four ($20-$48), along with a choice of sauces like harissa barbecue and labneh ranch. Other options include a family-style veggie fattoush salad, retail portions of hummus by the pint, marinated peppers, and five-packs of pitas. There’s also a selection of natural wine, canned beers, and Middle Eastern-inspired sweets made in collaboration with Sugar Fox’s bakers while their ice cream counter goes dark through the winter. Because 9-to-5 lunchtime traffic near Little Sesame’s downtown and Chinatown locations is still sparse, the brand decided to try a family-friendly neighborhood on for size. Little Sesame co-owner Nick Wiseman has longtime ties to the upper Northwest neighborhood: he went to high school nearby, and he’s also buddies with Little Red Fox owners Matt and Jena Carr. Wiseman partnered with his cousin, David Wiseman, to start Little Sesame as a basement pop-up below their (now-closed) DGS Delicatessen in 2016. The pair brought in Nick Wiseman’s former chef colleague, Ronen Tenne, as a partner and opened the first standalone shop at 1828 L Street NW in 2018. The Wisemans closed their other D.C. restaurant, well-regarded Navy Yard raw bar Whaley’s, last year to focus all their efforts on Little Sesame." - Tierney Plumb

"Little Sesame opens its doors for lunch downtown, lines snake outside the door, and seating becomes a rare commodity. Every weekday, swaths of workers, families, and tourists visit the shop for fast service, a breezy, West Coast-meets-Negev desert atmosphere, and its most popular item: the humble hummus bowl." - Kalina Newman

"Hummus bowl destination Little Sesame has grown to two locations in the past year." - Gabe Hiatt