Meet Jacob Komarow, New York's 'Baklava Guy,' who took three trays of baklava to a concert in 2021; now his business brings in over $20,000 a month

Some people do not start their businesses with a perfect plan or a shop. Many make their own path and lead a successful business. Same is the case with Jacob Komarow. He also did not begin his journey with a set plan. He only bought three trays of the Turkish dessert baklava in September 2021. This came before a Phish concert in California and he decided to sell them to fellow concertgoers. A bet with a friend changed everything. It turned it into a business that now generates more than $20,000 in average monthly sales.

Komarow is also known as Roy Donk. He is the founder of Good Baklava. He sells the dessert on the streets of New York City, at events and through online orders. It also supplies to local cafes and shops.

CNBC Make It reported that Good Baklava averaged slightly more than $20,000 in monthly sales over a recent-nine month period. The sale reached nearly $70,000 in December 2025. This was helped by holiday orders and a temporary stall at New York's Union Square Holiday Market. Notably, these sales represent sales, not profit.

How did a concert lead to a business?

The idea came to Komarow's mind almost by accident. On his way to the concert in September 2021, he stopped at a Middle Eastern grocery store. There, he bought three trays of ready-made baklava.

Later, he challenged a friend that he could sell all of it. And interestingly, he says he managed to sell and triple his money.

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During that time, he had lost his first full-time job. He used to work as an online marketer for an apparel company. He began doing freelance marketing work and continued selling baklava. He continued the same struggle for nearly three years.

What helped Good Baklava grow?

In 2022, Komarow tried pistachio baklava in New Jersey. This changed everything. He liked it so much that he changed his sourcing strategy.

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By 2024, he later made a relationship with a commercial bakery in Turkey. Good Baklava is now a well-running business. It earns money through sales, online orders and wholesale supply arrangements.