---
title: It’s Not Pizza—and That’s a Good Thing
date: 2022-02-08T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/its-not-pizza-and-thats-a-good-thing"
section: Articles
---
# It’s Not Pizza—and That’s a Good Thing

*February 8, 2022* — by [Shannon Clark M.Jour. ’22](/author/shannon-clark-m-jour-22)


> Alum Brothers’ Bakery Puts a DMV Spin on Middle Eastern Staple

*Manoushe Spread 1920x1080 — Lahm Bi Ajeen, with beef, tomatoes, onions and parsley, is one of the varieties of manoushe available at Z&Z Bakery, owned by Johnny '14 (below left) and Danny Dubbaneh '10 (below right).*

A soft homemade crust, a layer of savory sauce and a selection of irresistible toppings like tomatoes, onions and cheese—sounds a lot like a pizza, right? These descriptors actually belong to the manoushe, a popular Middle Eastern flatbread that’s anything but another take on the Italian pie.

University of Maryland alums and brothers Johnny ‘14, Danny ‘10 and Ronnie ‘09 Dubbaneh are founders of [Zayt & Za’atar (Z&Z) Manoushe Bakery](https://www.zandzdc.com/) in Rockville, Md., bringing the heart of the Middle East to the DMV by serving up made-from-scratch manoushes topped with their signature spices. To drive home the point even more, the siblings have snagged the url “itsnotpizza.com,” which redirects internet searches to Z&Z.


*Dubbaneh brothers outside Zayt & Za’atar (Z&Z) Manoushe Bakery*


*Dubbaneh family at a farmers market with tent that says, "Middle Eastern Flatbreads"*




**Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people)


**Tags:** [Alumni](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni), [Finance](https://today.umd.edu/topic/finance), [Food](https://today.umd.edu/topic/food), [Kinesiology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/kinesiology)


**Units:** [Robert H. Smith School of Business](https://today.umd.edu/topic/robert-h-smith-school-business)