Harissa Hot Honey, a fiery blend of North African spice and sweet honey, has quickly become one of New York City’s most talked-about gourmet condiments. But before landing on shelves at Zabar’s, Sahadi’s, Walmart, and JFK Airport, the brand began as a homemade sauce served at a Harlem restaurant that shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The product is co-founded by Gloribelle Perez and her husband, Walid Mrabet, who launched Harissa Hot Honey after their restaurant, known for its Caribbean and North African fusion menu, closed in 2022 due to ongoing economic challenges brought on by the pandemic.

“We built everything from scratch,” Perez said. “The website, the labels, the photos — we did it all ourselves because we didn’t have the option to do otherwise.”

Perez and Mrabet opened their Harlem restaurant in late 2019, just months before the pandemic led to the closing of indoor dining across New York. Rather than let their food go to waste, they turned their kitchen into a community operation.

“We literally walked into our walk-in fridge, cooked everything, and gave it away,” said Perez, a mother of two. “We didn’t know what was coming. We just knew people needed food.”

Their quick pivot earned them contracts with organizations like World Central Kitchen and Rethink Foods. However, despite their efforts, the restaurant never fully transitioned into a sustainable business with a regular customer base. By April 2022, they made the difficult decision to close permanently. 

The story of Harissa Hot Honey began in 2007, years before the restaurant, when Perez, raised on Dominican flavors, met her Tunisian husband and discovered the traditional chili paste called harissa.

“My people’s food is flavorful but not spicy,” Perez said. “His people’s food is spicy. I was like, ‘Baby, this is going in hot, coming out hotter.’”

They blended harissa with honey to bridge their taste differences and began using it as a marinade. It quickly became a customer favorite at their restaurant, especially when drizzled on chicken wings. Guests started requesting bottles to take home — a sign of the product’s potential even before it became a brand.

Unlike traditional hot honey, which often combines honey and chili, Harissa Hot Honey incorporates garlic, coriander, and caraway, giving it a layered and complex flavor. The blend works on both savory and sweet dishes. You can drizzle it on pizza, charcuterie, salad dressing, crispy chicken, salmon, dumplings, tea, cocktails, ice cream, and even brownie batter. 

After the restaurant closed, Perez and Mrabet focused entirely on bottling and selling the sauce. Without external investors or formal training in marketing or e-commerce, they built a direct-to-consumer business entirely on their own.

“This was a full bootstrap operation,” Perez said. “When you don’t come from money or have investors, your only option is to be resourceful. I couldn’t turn to friends and ask for a check — maybe a MetroCard and a bucket of chicken, but that’s about it.”

The couple launched online sales on Valentine’s Day, 2023, producing 2,000 bottles. Thanks to loyal customers and community support, the bottles sold out within days.

Instead of scaling rapidly, the pair adopted a slow-build approach, focusing on intentional growth, product quality, and community engagement. In 2024, Harissa Hot Honey secured placement at Lincoln Market and Walmart.com. A significant milestone came in 2025, when the product debuted at JFK Airport, introducing it to an international audience.

“That was a turning point,” Perez said. “We went from being a neighborhood favorite to being in front of people from around the world. It was surreal — and humbling.”

Though the brand has grown, the founders are selective about the future. Rather than launch new products under their label, they’re pursuing collaborations with like-minded companies, including chocolatiers and yogurt makers.

“Everything we do has to be grounded in relationship and purpose,” Perez said. “We’re not just building a business. We’re building community. This has always been about more than just selling something.”

A Spoonful of Self-Care

In a time of economic uncertainty, Perez views Harissa Hot Honey as more than a condiment. For many customers, it’s a small indulgence — and a reminder of care, culture, and connection.

“You might not be able to splurge on something extravagant, but you can treat yourself to a bottle of honey that’s bold, flavorful, and made with love,” she said.

The brand continues to operate on a batch-production model, balancing inventory and growth with intention. As Harissa Hot Honey finds its place on more shelves and tables nationwide, Perez sees its journey as proof that success doesn’t require venture capital — just vision, resilience, and community.