DELICIOUS SCENES FOR SHAWARMA
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DELICIOUS SCENES FOR SHAWARMA Canada’s fast-casual shawarma restaurant chain, Osmow’s Shawarma, continues to take the North American culinary industry by storm as it celebrates a quarter century of success. We catch up with CEO, Ben Osmow, and hear more about the brand’s scrumptious updates Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Ben Weaver 2 | Food & Beverage Outlook Issue 9
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he North American foodservice landscape has faced its fair share of volatility over the past few years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is a sector defined by its resilience and is returning to prosperity. Ben Osmow, CEO of Osmow’s Shawarma (Osmow’s), the rapidly growing Canadian fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, believes that being adaptable and open-minded is a
critical ingredient for success. “We move quickly as a company and, during what has been a few challenging years for many, we have actually experienced some of our strongest growth,” updates Ben, who we previously interviewed in November 2023. “Working closely with our franchise partners is a responsibility we take very seriously. For the past 10 years, we’ve averaged over 25 percent sales growth annually, which is something very few can say. One brand we closely observe is Chipotle, and
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we often describe ourselves as the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern equivalent,” he explains. Mediterranean food and diets are gaining significant traction globally, and that trend strongly favors Osmow’s. Customers today are far more health-conscious, which has always been part of the company’s DNA. For Ben and his family, who are Egyptian, becoming larger in North America than any shawarma brand globally is both surprising and deeply exciting. Despite shawarma being a household staple across the Middle East, there is no single chain in the region approaching this scale, which
makes Osmow’s growth in North America even more remarkable. “Our menu is built around quality ingredients, with no genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or preservatives, and our food is something parents feel good about serving their families,” Ben acclaims. By modernizing the category, Osmow’s has become the largest global shawarma franchise, an achievement Ben sees as only the beginning. “We’ve started our growth journey and are also working toward international expansion beyond Canada and the US. Hopefully, one day, we’ll make our way to the UK as well,” he lays out.
PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE Ben has recently embraced a keen focus on new areas of the business along with his sister Bernadette, who is also part of the family business, taking on a larger role overseeing operations and the smooth running of the company’s production plant. “There has been a lot of change over the past couple of years – I’m still CEO of the organization, but I’ve taken a much more hands-on role in marketing. “We made some key changes to our marketing team and brought in new people, with a strong focus on keeping the brand top-of-mind and ensuring our franchise partners remain profitable and successful,” he recalls.
DO YOU FIND THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY EXCITING AND REWARDING TO BE A PART OF? Ben Osmow, CEO: “There’s never a dull moment, especially when you’re opening nearly one restaurant a week. We’re entering new regions and countries right now, which means more travel and excitement. “It’s incredibly humbling to visit a new destination and be there in-person because you’re opening one of your own restaurants. Seeing the local excitement and reception from communities we’ve never been part of before is truly special. “It’s a powerful feeling to watch the family name grow into something bigger while building a legacy that everyone in the organization can be proud of. “There’s truly nothing in the world I’d rather be doing. Growing up, many of us admired legacy brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks. For us, the excitement comes from building an entirely new category and watching it grow. “Shawarma was traditionally a ‘mom-and-pop’ offering, but we’ve introduced hundreds of thousands of people to their first-ever shawarma experience, which is something I find very fulfilling.”
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Like most restaurant businesses, Osmow’s remains nimble – everyone at leadership level wears multiple hats and, while they each have areas of focus, these vital members of the team stay involved in all aspects. “The difference now is we’re at a size where we can hire experts in specific disciplines, but we’ll never step away from being hands-on,” Ben assures. Osmow’s continues to grow at a strong pace and, since featuring in 2023, has opened approximately 70 new restaurants. “June also marks our 25th anniversary as a brand. While we’ve only been franchising for about 10 or 11 years, it’s been a quarter of a century since Osmow’s first began,” Ben sets out proudly.
“OUR RESTAURANTS ARE CLEAN, CONTEMPORARY, AND OPERATIONALLY TIGHT, AND WE OFFER STRONG CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS EVERY LOCATION” – BEN OSMOW, CEO, OSMOW’S SHAWARMA
Osmow’s plans to celebrate primarily with its franchise partners and internally as a family. Then, later this year, it aims to introduce a special in-store initiative across all locations to mark the milestone. “It’s about honoring our journey and the people who helped us get here, rather than creating a big media spectacle.”
SHAWARMA WITH A DIFFERENCE The biggest differentiator for Osmow’s is how it has modernized shawarma – a cuisine that has historically been associated with inconsistent service, questionable hygiene, and small-scale operators. “We have completely changed that perception. Our restaurants are clean, Food & Beverage Outlook Issue 9 | 5
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contemporary, and operationally tight, and we offer strong customer service and consistency across every location,” Ben acclaims. “As such, we took a category that was never seen as franchisable and scaled it successfully. In Canada, shawarma is now a mainstream, household option, and Osmow’s has played a major role in making that happen,” he excites. Having overcome the stigma that surrounds shawarma, Osmow’s operations strive to hit the highest possible levels of consistency at every store. 6 | Food & Beverage Outlook Issue 9
A CLEAR PURPOSE – DCM AND OSMOW’S For decades, DCM has worked behind the scenes of large, complex companies to streamline their communications and operations – ultimately helping them achieve more with less time, effort, and worry. DCM currently serves numerous major brands in every vertical through its 16 locations across Canada and the US, one of which is Osmow’s, in a partnership that continues to flourish. The company is incredibly proud to call 70 of Canada’s top 100 businesses its customers. “DCM has been a valued print solutions partner to our organization, consistently supporting our growth and innovation across Canada and more recently as we’ve expanded into the US,” Ben highlights.
Proud Print Solutions Partner
Osmow’s, the recipe for success. A perfect mix of aspiration, experience, and excellence. From the location in Mississauga that started it all, to a thriving network of more than 200 locations, Osmow’s is now a household name — and DCM is thrilled to help support that growth by reliably and consistently bringing the Osmow’s brand to life. Powering national campaigns, new restaurant openings, and local activations, we’re proud to be part of the Osmow’s journey by providing our own recipe of marketing technology, proven production, seamless scalability, and distribution at every level.
Congratulations on 25 amazing years.
datacm.com
This way, customers can trust they’re going to get the same meal across its entire geographic footprint, whether in Canada, the US, or new regions and countries the company expands to in the future.
“Our approach in the US has been deliberately slow and organic. We receive thousands of franchise applications annually, but quality and sustainability always come first,” Ben affirms. “We test new markets through corporate locations before opening them up to franchise partners.” This year, Osmow’s already has seven US locations signed, including Texas, New Jersey, and Ohio. “A major milestone for us was opening our first US production plant – a facility which allows us to control quality, improve margins for franchisees, and support expansion more confidently,” states Ben.
INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS In addition to the company’s ongoing expansion, Ben highlights the brand’s partnerships as another major source of pride. “Osmow’s has collaborated with several NBA and NHL athletes, as well as prominent national soccer players, but one of the most significant milestones has been our partnership with Doritos,” he expands. As one of the brand’s first major collaborations, Osmow’s worked with Doritos’ parent company, PepsiCo, to create a unique, co-developed product which will be launching in June this year. The result of this exciting collaboration is the ‘Walking Shawarma’ – a bag of Doritos prepared in-store and filled with a choice of shawarma, toppings, cheese, and Osmow’s’ signature sauces to create a fully handheld meal. “Following a successful soft
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Congratulations on a quarter century of success
The best part is knowing that the best is yet to come. We can’t wait to see what the next 25 years has in store.
Fabio Bonaccorso, CPA, CA, Partner 416.596.1711 fabio.bonaccorso@mnp.ca MNP.ca
launch last year and strong customer demand, the product is set to return nationally in June 2026. “These kinds of partnerships are a powerful reminder of how far the company has come – from a small, struggling ‘mom-and-pop’ shop to a brand capable of attracting household names and global partners,” Ben reflects. With the FIFA World Cup taking place in North America this summer, Osmow’s sees this as a massive commercial opportunity, and the company is aligning the launch of Walking Shawarma with the tournament. “Capitalising on such a global platform, we’ve secured locations near stadiums and planned activations well in advance. You can expect Osmow’s to be very visible during the tournament,” he reveals. “We never miss an opportunity to market ourselves during one of
the world’s largest events, and the World Cup is definitely something we’ve been excited about since it was announced.”
HOPE AND LEGACY Giving back has always been part of who Osmow’s is as a brand, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has always been vital to its identity. As the company has grown, its charitable efforts have expanded at the same pace. “Beyond the business, we’re deeply committed to giving back through the Osmow’s Hope Fund. This year, our goal is to provide meals for over 8,000 children across several developing countries,” Ben elaborates. “Within this, 100 percent of donations go directly to feeding children as we cover all administrative costs ourselves,” he tells us. Alongside its commendable CSR
work, Osmow’s has transformed shawarma into a truly scalable and desirable food category. The brand has now grown to surpass 225 restaurants, an achievement that is virtually unheard of within the shawarma space. “With a strong operating system now firmly in place and improving year after year, we’re excited to begin engaging with future international franchise partners and taking the next step in Osmow’s’ evolution,” Ben concludes.
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