OLMSTED FALLS -- Tucked away in a quiet corner of Northeast Ohio stands a Sunoco.

It looks, well, like a gas station.

  • The hummus has become a hit on social media, with users taking photos and recommending the chickpea spread  
  • Offered in a wide variety of flavors, including roasted red pepper and pickle 
  • A tub of the dip ranges in price from $4.99 to $5.99

But sandwiched between propane prices and a banner advertising Slush Puppies is a sign with bright blue letters spelling out "Home of Momma Mary Hummus" on a neon yellow background.

Khalil Dari manages the Sunoco's cafe. He's also the son of "Momma Mary" herself.

He started stocking the family-owned space with his mom's homemade hummus a few years ago.

And now, thanks in part to social media, a deli counter nestled near bags of Bugles and Chex Mix is a destination for foodies.

Popular Ohio Instagrammers and Facebook users started evangelizing the food about a year and a half ago, and while Dari doesn't know the exact amount of hummus sold, he said it has snowballed in popularity ever since.

“You know, I wasn’t too good with social media," he admits. "But every time I would open it up to add something to our menu or just take a good picture of something, I’ll just have a hundred messages and a hundred likes, and I’m like, ‘what’s the heck going on over here!’” 
The cafe also has a full menu with sandwiches and other items, but hummus is one of the main draws. 

Flavors you'd expect to see, like roasted red pepper and sundried tomato, are stacked neatly in a refrigerated cooler. They also sometimes take customer requests, resulting in unexpected flavors like pickle hummus. 

Even with the wide menu, there’s one secret ingredient he said makes their products stand out from competitors.  

“The love we put into it," he said. "We make it as how we want it."

The hummus ranges in price from $4.99 to $5.99. 

While Dari said his mom is a little camera shy, she has big dreams for her hummus.

The product is stocked at a few other gas stations throughout the region, and they’re aiming to someday expand into bigger markets like Chicago and Los Angeles, too.