Anna & Sedi

The Founders of Holy Burek — Pastry with a Soul

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Q: Holy Burek feels like more than a bakery. What is it really?

Anna:

It was never meant to be “just food.” It’s heritage you can see, smell, and hear. It’s the sound of dough stretching. The smell of butter. The moment people stop debating whether it’s burek or pita and just enjoy it together.

Sedi:

It’s honest food. Organic flour. Water. Salt. No industrial yeast. No preservatives. No shortcuts. Everything rolled fresh in front of you and baked immediately. When people see the process, they understand — this is craft, not convenience.

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Q: The recipe is over 500 years old. How did you bring it back to life?

Sedi:

To revive the original method, I brought grandmother from Albania. She worked with us for months. This recipe has lived for generations — we didn’t reinvent it. We protected it.

Anna:

Refining a 500-year-old recipe for international standards without losing authenticity is delicate. It required patience, respect, and discipline. We were never interested in making it easier. We were interested in making it right.

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Q: Where did it all begin?

Anna:

The first shop opened in Dubrovnik in 2021. No designer. No big strategy. Just belief.

Sedi:

That original shop remains untouched. When the franchise was born, we decided not to adapt Dubrovnik to the new design. It stays exactly as it is — because it’s becoming part of history.

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Q: And now you’re global.

Anna:

From Dubrovnik to Dubai, Miami, and most recently the 10th arrondissement of Paris — and many more cities to come.

Sedi:

But we’re not spreading fast. We’re spreading right.

The five core flavors remain sacred:

Cheese. Veal. Chicken. Spinach & Cheese. Potato.

Dubai welcomed Dates & Cream.

Miami will introduce Guava & Cheese.

We respect culture — but the DNA stays holy.

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Q: The name “Holy Burek” is bold. Where did it come from?

Anna:

It was born from a funny moment in Dubrovnik Old Town. We once joked that if someone ate our burek, it could lift them up even on their toughest day — maybe even make them feel like they could rise again.

Of course, it was humor. But there was truth in it. That first bite reaction people have? It’s almost spiritual.

Sedi:

“Holy” isn’t religious for us. It’s emotional. When something is made with integrity, it feels sacred.

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Q: What does “Pastry with a soul” truly mean?

Anna:

Soul means story. It means grandmother hands. It means tradition passed down and revived with care.

Sedi:

It also means community. You’ll see queues outside. DJ openings. People arguing about names and then laughing together after one bite.

Holy Burek connects people.

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Q: You often say “Make Burek Cool Again.” What does that mean?

Sedi:

For too long, burek was treated as a cheap snack grabbed on a corner in Balkan, Turkish, and neighboring cultures.

We believe it deserves a world stage.

Anna:

We revived the original recipe. Elevated the ingredients. Created bold branding. Designed innovative packaging — which we’ve patented. Introduced new fillings without compromising tradition.

We didn’t change burek.

We restored its dignity.

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Q: The franchise interiors are striking. Who designed them?

Anna:

Our franchise concept was designed by Hermidas Atabeyki — a world-renowned designer whose work spans from one of the Lamborghini Diablo models to mega yachts and remarkable interiors across the globe.

But the story didn’t begin with us hiring a designer.

It began with friendship.

Sedi:

We didn’t approach Hermidas in a formal way. We asked him — as a friend — if he would help us shape the visual world of Holy Burek. And he graciously agreed.

That generosity meant everything.

Anna:

Because it started from friendship, not transaction, he understood the soul before the space. He didn’t design “a store.” He designed an experience.

The circular worktable. The halo above it. The open production.

You don’t just buy burek.

You witness it being born.

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Q: What keeps you grounded as you grow?

Sedi:

Discipline. Every franchise follows strict standards. Organic flour. Premium fillings. No industrial shortcuts. No seed oils.

If you cut corners, you lose the holiness.

Anna:

We don’t cut corners.

We layer them.

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Q: What drives you personally?

Sedi:

Pride. Balkan culture deserves global recognition.

Anna:

And joy. Watching someone in Paris, Miami, or Dubai taste something rooted in our family story — that’s powerful.

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Q: What’s next for Holy Burek?

Anna:

More cities. More believers.

Sedi:

Same dough.

Layer by golden layer.