Said Abulafia on What a Bakery Founded in 1879 Can Teach Modern Businesses
Tel Aviv–Jaffa business leader Said Abulafia shares lessons from a historic Arab family-owned bakery that has served customers for nearly 150 years.
Tel Aviv–jaffa, Israel, 22nd July 2026, ZEX PR WIRE— Most businesses do not make it to ten years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 34.7% of private-sector establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023. Family businesses face another challenge: only about 30% transition to the second generation, and roughly 12% remain viable into the third.
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That makes Abulafia Bakery’s history unusual. Founded in Jaffa in 1879, the historic Arab family-owned bakery has operated for nearly 150 years through political change, economic pressure, shifting customer habits, and several generations of family leadership.
Said Abulafia believes the bakery’s long history offers practical lessons for modern businesses trying to survive.
“When people hear that the bakery started in 1879, they think about history,” says Abulafia. “I think about responsibility. Every generation had to make decisions that kept the business alive. That is the real lesson.”
Longevity Starts With Trust
For Abulafia, the bakery’s staying power begins with customer trust. Customers return because they know what to expect. They recognize the product, the place, and the experience.
Modern businesses often focus on attention. Abulafia believes trust matters more.
“A customer who comes once is important,” he says. “A customer who comes back with their children or grandchildren tells you something much deeper. It means the business became part of their routine.”
That kind of loyalty is not built by a single strong campaign. It is built through years of consistency.
Consistency Is Not Old-Fashioned
In a fast-moving business environment, consistency can sound plain. Abulafia sees it differently.
For a bakery, consistency is operational. Ingredients must be reliable. Production has to stay controlled. Service has to feel familiar. Small changes are noticed quickly.
“If something changes in the product, regular customers know,” he says. “They may not explain it in technical terms, but they feel it. That is why consistency is not just a nice idea. It is part of the business model.”
Adaptation Without Losing Identity
Abulafia says one of the biggest challenges for heritage businesses is knowing what to change and what to protect.
A business founded in 1879 cannot operate exactly as it did in earlier generations. Costs change. Customer behavior changes. Competition changes. Operations must improve.
At the same time, moving too far from the core identity can weaken what has kept the business going.
“You have to modernize carefully,” says Abulafia. “If you change everything, you lose the reason people trusted you. If you change nothing, you fall behind. The work is finding the line between the two.”
What Modern Businesses Can Learn
Abulafia believes the bakery’s history offers several lessons that extend beyond hospitality.
First, businesses need a clear core. They should understand what customers return for and protect it.
Second, growth should not come before stability. A weak system becomes harder to manage as it expands.
Third, businesses should listen to repeat customers. Long-term customers often notice operational problems before leadership does.
“People talk a lot about innovation,” he says. “But sometimes the best information comes from a customer who has been coming to you for 20 years and notices when something feels different.”
Pressure Reveals Weakness
The bakery has faced many periods of uncertainty, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply disruptions, rising costs, and fluctuating demand. Abulafia says those periods forced the business to simplify and strengthen its systems.
“When conditions are easy, you can ignore problems,” he says. “When pressure comes, every weakness becomes visible. That is when you either fix the system or keep repeating the same mistakes.”
For Abulafia, pressure is not only a challenge. It is a test of how well a business is built.
A Call to Study Businesses That Last
Abulafia encourages entrepreneurs, operators, and family business owners to study long-running businesses, not only fast-growing ones.
Many modern business stories focus on rapid scale. Abulafia believes there is equal value in studying enduring companies.
“A business that lasts for generations has already answered questions many newer businesses are still trying to solve,” he says. “How do you keep trust? How do you adapt? How do you stay useful to people over time?”
Call to Action
Abulafia encourages business owners to take practical steps:
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Identify what customers truly return for
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Protect the parts of the business that create trust
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Make changes gradually and measure the impact
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Listen closely to long-term customers
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Build operations that can survive difficult periods
“Longevity is not one big decision,” he says. “It is many small decisions made well over time.”
About Said Abulafia
Said Abulafia is a Tel Aviv–Jaffa-based business leader involved with Abulafia Bakery, a historic Arab family-owned bakery established in Jaffa in 1879. His work focuses on preserving the bakery’s legacy while adapting operations for modern customers, changing markets, and long-term continuity.
