--- title: "This Canadian chain wants to teach America to love shawarma" url: https://burnaze.com/article/b08d12fc-7f00-497d-8f00-e531c2d500f3 source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands/canadian-chain-wants-teach-america-love-shawarma category: "Restaurants" industry: "Restaurants" published: 2026-10-20T23:12:41.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:28.310Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-10/background/tahinis.jpg?VersionId=FJSANhjLLXPazUHB8QwTfNoP9j8cUlRq --- # This Canadian chain wants to teach America to love shawarma **TL;DR:** Tahini's, a Canadian Mediterranean fast-casual chain, is expanding to the US with 20 new locations, offering shawarma and other menu items with a fusion twist. The chain, founded by Ali Hamam and his brother Omar Hamam, has 76 units in Canada and is looking to grow in the US, where it sees an opportunity to introduce shawarma to a wider audience. *originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-10-20. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands/canadian-chain-wants-teach-america-love-shawarma).* ## Story Shawarma is hugely popular around the world. But Ali Hamam believes it’s time for the slow-roasted rotisserie meat to take the spotlight in the U.S. Ali Hamam and his brother Omar Hamam are co-founders of the Mediterranean fast-casual chain Tahini’s, which has 76 units across Canada and is plotting growth in the U.S. There’s already one Tahini’s location in Love’s Park, Illinois, and two more are coming in the next few months: one outside Chicago and another in New Jersey. ## US expansion plans Next year another 20 are expected to open stateside, including two company locations that Ali hopes will serve as flagships for training and onboarding. The Mediterranean category in the U.S. is well dominated by Cava, whose founders are of Greek heritage. But Cava doesn’t franchise, or do shawarma — not like Tahini’s, which Ali contends is “more authentic.” The Hamam brothers are originally from Egypt. They came to Canada after the Arab Spring in 2011, a pro-democracy movement across the Middle East that included massive demonstrations in Cairo (resulting in the resignation of then-Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak). They were already Canadian citizens, he said, and they decided to start their own business (along with cousin Ahmed Dessouki), though they hadn’t operated restaurants before. “It was a learning curve for us, but we had no choice,” he said. “It was do or die. It was either that, or we fail completely and go back to Egypt. There was no option but to succeed.” And they figured it out. They got to four units before launching franchising (though they later refranchised three, so now only one in Canada is company owned). Tahini’s offers a menu of shawarmas, appetizers, bowls and platters. What differentiates the concept is an element of fusion cuisine, Ali said. There’s a shawarma wrap with butter chicken, for example, and another with a Jamaican Jerk sauce. The sandwiches are wrapped in house made saj bread, like a longer, skinnier burrito. This summer, however, Tahini’s in June debuted a Shawarma Ramen that has become the No. 3 menu item after going viral. ## Social media and growth In fact, Ali credits the chain’s growth in part on its lively social media presence across all platforms. Since 2019, the chain has racked up nearly 4 billion views across the various platforms, which has driven traffic and helped connect the brand with potential franchisees. That brand awareness will help as the chain pushes into the U.S., where Tahini’s is priced “below Chipotle,” though Ali declined to reveal sales details. Interest in shawarma is definitely growing in the U.S., according to Technomic data. Shawarma menu items grew from 276 to 357 from the third quarter of 2025 to Q3 2026, a nearly 30% increase. The number of restaurants serving shawarma also grew during the period by 22%, Technomic said, indicating that shawarma is moving beyond a niche specialty into broader mainstream consideration. Among the larger limited-service restaurant chains with shawarma as a core menu item are Halal Guys (81 units), Great Greek Mediterranean Grill (83) and Mezeh Mediterranean Grill (53). And, of course, there are countless mom-and-pop shawarma concepts in most major cities. ## Franchising and funding Tahini’s growth has come entirely from franchising. There’s no private equity funding. “But we’re open to it,” Ali said. The chain has central kitchens for the production of sauces and marinades to ensure consistency. Once the chain hits 20 units in the U.S., Ali said they will look for a production facility to serve growth on this side of the border. Just because a restaurant chain works in Canada doesn’t mean it will fly in the U.S. (Just ask Tim Hortons). But Ali is confident Tahini’s fusion of flavors will catch on here. (He’s also admittedly comfortable with risk. In 2020, the brothers put the chain’s cash reserves into Bitcoin. That was a bet that he said has paid off, at least so far.) Canada is facing many of the same macroeconomic trends that restaurants are navigating in America, so Ali said he and his brother know what they’re getting into. And, in their Canadian stores, same-store sales are up year-over-year, “which is something few restaurant companies are able to do,” he said. Today’s economy will “punish restaurant companies that don’t prioritize their guests first,” Ali said. “We like to believe our guest is our No. 1 priority.” Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts. ## Entities - QSR (sector) - franchising (topic) - canada (location) - Restaurant Business (publication) - new jersey (location) - Chicago (location) - US (location) - us expansion (topic) - CAVA (company) - mediterranean cuisine (topic) - Egypt (location) - Tahini's (company) --- Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands/canadian-chain-wants-teach-america-love-shawarma). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/b08d12fc-7f00-497d-8f00-e531c2d500f3).