When Anthony Brahimsha, a first-generation Syrian-American, was growing up, he visited Syria regularly. Much of his family still lives in Aleppo, and as he visited, he became more enthralled with the country’s food and culture. And that meant lots of hummus.
Modernizing a Syrian hummus recipe that was passed down to him, Brahimsha partnered with Mike McCloskey, the co-founder of Chicago-based dairy company Fairlife, and together they launched Prommus Hummus, which hit the market in March.
Prommus is the first and only 100 percent clean label, gluten-free and high-protein hummus. It is enhanced with whey protein isolate through a proprietary processing method that the startup is currently working to get patented.
“We’re disrupting a category that’s kind of been stale,” Brahimsha said. “Consumers want to attach themselves to a product that brands itself as the lifestyle they’re trying to live.”
Compared to some of its competitors like Sabra, Prommus’ product has no saturated fat or preservatives, and has fewer calories overall. Additionally, Prommus has four times less sodium and two times more protein than competing brands, Brahimsha said.
There are other clean-label hummus brands on the market, like Tribe Hummus or Hope Hummus, but no other ones that are both clean-label and high-protein, Brahimsha said.
Prommus, which is manufactured in Chicago suburb Carol Stream, comes in four flavors: traditional, red pepper, avocado and kalmata olive. It is sold in all of Jewel-Osco’s 187 locations and in independent grocery stores around the Midwest, where it retails for $4.99. But later this year, Brahimsha said he wants to explore additional deals with other major grocery chains like Mariano’s and Whole Foods.
In the meantime, Brahimsha said he’s focusing his attention to marketing efforts and getting the word out about Prommus, which includes street teams, advertising at Lollapalooza this summer and partnering with social media influencers. The team of six works out of a WeWork location in River North.
The startup’s name has a dual meaning. “Pro” stands for protein and “mmus” stands for hummus. But it also stands for the company’s mantra, which is to “make the world a more promising place.”
In 2014, Brahimsha was doing humanitarian work, helping set up schools for Syrian refugees, where he was exposed to many malnourished children. The experience has stuck with him, which is why he said Prommus is committed to donating a portion of its yearly profits to the World Food Program, an initiative that addresses hunger across the globe.
“I wanted to create a company that sustainably gave back to the region that inspired me to create this company,” Brahimsha said. “That’s why I developed Prommus.”
