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In June, outside Madison Square Garden, 30-year-old Jacob Komarow offered Knicks fans free baklava and . The entrepreneur, known simply as the Baklava Guy, carried trays of flaky, pistachio-filled pastries to eager fans.

Komarow is the founder of , a roaming business that offers baklava on the street, from the back of a van, online or through temporary stands. The business does not yet have a permanent storefront. 

Komarow sells the treats by approaching potential customers in city parks and at music festivals. A 12-pack of baklava costs around $30 on the site at the time of writing. In person, three pieces sell for $10 to $15, according to a recent .

After dropping out of high school and struggling with drug addiction, Komarow built a business and a new life, one syrupy sweet at a time. He was six months sober when he began selling baklava as a side hustle in 2021 and is now more than five years sober, per CNBC. 

His videos handing out baklava earlier this year first . Then, a in The New York Times sent Good Baklava’s visibility into another orbit.

“The New York Times just started a baklava wildfire,” Komarow told CNBC. “All of a sudden, brands were reaching out to us to partner.”

In the months since, the company has worked with wireless carrier US Mobile, Acme Smoked Fish and a mix of local and national restaurants. 

“We finally got the recognition that we’ve been chasing for the past five years just by showing up and celebrating with New York,” he said. “I don’t think this company could have ever survived anywhere else besides New York City.”

How it all started

Good Baklava began as a bet. 

In September 2021, Komarow stopped at a Middle Eastern grocery store on his way to a Phish show in California. He impulsively bought three trays of ready-made baklava, intending to resell the pastries to other fans.

A friend doubted he could sell it all, but Komarow bet otherwise. He ultimately sold the trays at a profit, tripling his initial investment. 

That experiment laid the foundation for Good Baklava. For almost three years, Komarow treated baklava as a concert side hustle, buying trays and selling them at shows. Eventually, he took the pastries to other outdoor events and made the business his full-time pursuit.

He now sells baklava he imports from a supplier in Gaziantep, Turkey. The Turkish bakery ships him baklava trays every month, giving him access to “an unlimited supply.” 

He found the supplier when he stopped by a Turkish food vendor in Paterson, New Jersey, in spring 2022 and sampled some of the baklava from the bakery. It left a lasting impression. “I was, like, mind blown,” he told CNBC.

The numbers

Now, heightened attention has translated into business. Over a recent nine-month stretch, Good Baklava has generated average monthly sales of about $20,000, per CNBC.

“It was never supposed to get this far,” Komarow told the outlet. “So, this is the American dream.”

Sales are somewhat inconsistent. For example, the company generated close to $70,000 in December 2025, its best month to date, due to holiday season orders. The next month, sales fell to under $10,000. 

Komarow says his sales tactics include listening to customers and adapting his pitch accordingly. “I’ve been selling baklava for five years, and that’s five years of careful testing,” he told CNBC.