Our Story

More Than 25 Years of Fragrance, Family & a Name Inspired by One Unforgettable Dog

Zakat Fragrances has never been just about smelling good. It's a story of fragrance, perseverance, family, friendship, community, and the people who opened doors and offered helping hands along the way.

Our journey began in 2000 as Mekkah Fragrances in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. What started with a love for fragrance grew one customer, one conversation, one opportunity, and one relationship at a time.

More than 25 years later, we're still here—still helping people discover scents they love and still grateful for every person who helped us get here.

Meet Zakat

And yes—there really was a Zakat. ❤️

The beautiful boy you see above is the inspiration behind our name.

Zakat was more than a dog. He was family—deeply loved and full of personality.

In 2020, Mekkah Fragrances became Zakat Fragrances, beginning a new chapter while carrying forward everything that had been built since 2000. Giving the business Zakat's name was a way to carry a little piece of him forward with us.

Today, every package that leaves here with Zakat Fragrances on it carries his name somewhere new.

Built One Open Door at a Time

This business may have started with me, but I didn't build it alone.

Throughout the years, people have opened doors for me—sometimes in ways they probably never realized would still matter decades later.

Robyn was one of those people. When I was first starting Mekkah Fragrances, she allowed me to sell my fragrance oils in the bar she managed in Homestead. That gave me another place to introduce my oils, meet customers, and grow.

Stephanie helped get me into West Penn Hospital, creating another opportunity for my business to reach new people.

Denise gave me a simple piece of advice that stayed with the business: number the fragrance oils so they would be easier to organize and put into a list for customers. It worked—and became part of how I did business.

Deanna Marie encouraged me to think bigger and has been what I lovingly call a walking billboard of scent. Over the years, she has worn the fragrances, talked about Zakat, and put more business cards into people's hands than I could ever count.

There were also event organizers who invited me to vend and didn't charge me a vending fee, giving a growing small business an opportunity to reach new customers without another expense standing in the way.

Sometimes an open door was a place to sell. Sometimes it was an introduction, an idea, a recommendation, a business card handed to a stranger, or simply someone saying:

“You can do this.”

Every one of those things mattered.

The Customers Who Became Family

Some customers became much more than customers.

Mama Ethel was our oldest customer. She had been with us since the Mekkah Fragrances days and had quite a collection of our oils. Her favorite was Opium.

Mama Ethel would sit with us, she loved Zakat, and she was one of the kindest people I have ever known. We lost her last year at the age of 90, but she will always have a place in our story.

I met Nell through his sister Robyn. Over the years, he became a longtime customer and dear friend. Nell and I talked fragrance. We discussed scents, he shared his recommendations, and I followed some of them.

We lost Nell too, but the conversations, friendship, and memories remain.

Businesses are often measured in years and sales.

I measure this one in people, relationships, opportunities, and memories too.

A Family Business in Every Sense

Behind the scenes, Zakat has always had helping hands.

At 88 years old, my mother still helps by putting labels on our bags. ❤️

At the other end of the generations is AJ, our 9-year-old helper. AJ draws the names that become the names of our nail polish shades, hands out business cards, helped during our vending days, and even has his own discount code that gives customers $10 off an order.

That's 79 years between two generations still lending their hands to Zakat Fragrances.

And then there's Hayward.

When our vending operation was in full swing, Hayward took on the muscle and much of the behind-the-scenes work.

Vending wasn't simply putting a few products on a table. We traveled with tables, tents, generators, lights, signs, displays, and totes filled with products—sometimes packing a U-Haul van all the way to the doors.

Hayward carried, loaded, and drove. In between, he checked on Mom, picked AJ up from school or daycare, made sure everything was okay, and came back to the event.

That support allowed me to stay focused on our customers and the business.

Selling fragrance, however, was not his department. After giving a customer the wrong price one time—and me honoring the price he quoted—we learned where everyone's talents were best used. 😂

To Every Helping Hand—Thank You

There are far more people who have helped Zakat Fragrances than I could possibly name on one page.

Family members and friends have worked beside me without asking to be paid. They've packed, labeled, carried, loaded, unloaded, set up, broken down, handed out cards, worked events, made introductions, shared ideas, recommended fragrances, told friends about the business, encouraged me when I needed it, and simply showed up when another pair of hands was needed.

Some helped for years. Some helped for a season. Some opened one door that led to another.

Whether your name appears on this page or not, if you ever gave your time, your hands, your advice, your encouragement, an opportunity, a referral, a purchase, or simply believed in what I was building—thank you.

You are part of this story.

That's why when I say “we” at Zakat Fragrances, I mean it.

Fragrance Made Personal

Today, Zakat Fragrances has grown into a collection of fragrance oils, imports, body care, home fragrance, nail polish, and more—but the heart of the business hasn't changed.

I still believe fragrance is personal.

It's the scent that makes someone stop and ask:

“What are you wearing?”

It's discovering something new that becomes your signature.

It's a fragrance that takes you back to a person, a place, or a moment you never want to forget.

Luxury isn't simply a name on a bottle.

It's how something makes you feel.

And to Our Customers

Whether you shopped with me during the Mekkah Fragrances days, discovered Zakat Fragrances somewhere along the journey, or you're visiting us for the very first time:

Thank you.

Every purchase, referral, review, conversation, and recommendation has helped an independent Pittsburgh business continue doing what it loves for more than 25 years.

Welcome to Zakat Fragrances.

Find a scent you love.
Make a memory.
And be...

Scented to Be Remembered.