Al-Taj Bakery owner Rami Wadee nearly sold his shop. A viral social media post changed everything.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Just three weeks after informing his customers that he was going to have to sell his business, Al-Taj Bakery owner, Rami Wadee has trouble keeping ahead of the demand for his Mediterranean sweet treats.

"I did not sleep yesterday. As you can see, it's all empty. I'm trying to fill everything," Wadee said of some of his empty display shelves.

Wadee said the cost of doing business, the way he wants to do it, was beginning to cost too much. So he began looking for a buyer who'd help alleviate all or at least some of the expenses at his shop. Instead, he found Stephanie Ortiz, who came with a big social media following and an even bigger heart.

"So I took control of his account on the 20th (of August), and on the 26th I made a post, which was Tuesday, I made a post and he went viral," she explained.

She used her platform to outline the problem Wadee was having while asking her followers in the area to help. And the community has responded in a big way.

"it just took me a couple of posts," Ortiz said. "And then by the 3rd or 4th time posting, we went viral. I just said the right things, and the community came together, and since then they've been coming together, you know, every day there's about 100 people here," she continued.

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It's made for some very long work days (and nights) for Rami, but it's certainly better than the alternate universe that was staring back at him less than one month ago.

"It's big sales," Wadee said. "Believe me, it's big. We did not stop. They did not take any breaks. We are standing on our feet from the morning until we close," he added, before telling us he's been expanding his store hours as well.

Ortiz, who is from California originally, didn't know Wadee and only visited his bakery once before. She doesn't even live in Lexington, having settled in nearby Winchester, but she wanted to be a part of this community and answered Wadee's call for help with a much different solution.

"I always wondered what my purpose was for being in Kentucky, and he was part of my purpose," she stated.

A purpose that has, at least for now, saved a local business owner's American dream.

"I don't think, I'm sure she's an angel that just showed up from God to help me," Wadee said before heading back into his kitchen to work on meeting all of this newfound demand.

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The Al-Taj Bakery is located at 4097 Nichols Park Drive, near the Lowe's on Nicholasville Road at Man-O-War Blvd.

Michael Berk is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Michael at michael.berk@wlex.tv

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