Osmow’s Shawarma’s success is built on fresh food, bold flavours, and strong family roots.
By Gina Makkar
Canadians love bold flavour, and shawarma—with its rich spices, slow-cooked chicken, and famous garlic sauce—has become a popular choice across the country. With the ethnic food market expected to grow 8.1 per cent by 2030, Osmow’s Shawarma remains at the forefront, guided by the leadership and values that set them apart.
A living legacy
Brand founder Sam Osmow immigrated from Egypt and started a small sandwich shop in Mississauga, Ontario in 2001. Over time, the business evolved to feature fast-casual Middle Eastern dishes like shawarma and falafel. This year the brand will open its 250th location in Canada with continued expansion in the U.S.
For brother and sister Ben Osmow, CEO, and Bernadette Osmow, president, the restaurant was more than a family business, it was part of their childhood. “We grew up in the restaurant,” says Ben. “We learned so much about the restaurant business, starting with the value of quality ingredients and the impact of a great customer experience—two things that remain at the heart of what we do today.”
The early lessons became the foundation for Osmow’s continued success. Despite its rapid growth, the company remains rooted in the values that shaped it from the beginning: family, humility, hospitality, and a commitment to making every customer feel welcome.
When Osmow’s first began serving shawarma, it was navigating uncharted territory; at the time, it was an uncommon concept for many Canadian diners. “We’ve done a really good job of taking shawarma and making it feel a lot more comfortable for consumers to walk in, because even the word ‘shawarma’ is sometimes challenging for people,” says Ben.
With a focus on making Mediterranean food approachable yet flavourful, the “modern Middle Eastern” approach led to creations like Chicken On The Rocks® (chicken shawarma served over rice), exposing customers to unfamiliar cuisine through familiar formats. “I think many Canadians now are shawarma consumers because of what we were able to build back then.”
Though Ben completed his MBA and gained professional experience outside the family business, he credits much of his success to resourcefulness and a willingness to learn from others. When the company began franchising, he reached out to leaders across the industry to ask questions and learn from their experiences. “I asked them a million questions,” he recalls. “From that point onward, I had the resources. When I had a situation I didn’t have the answer to, I had three phone calls I could make to guarantee I would get that answer.”
As the company expands into the U.S., Ben uses the same strategy, meeting with operators, learning from local experts, and approaching the market with the same resourcefulness and humility that helped guide the company’s growth from the start.
A family-forward mindset
With competition on the rise, Ben says their advantage begins with a willingness to invest in the brand. “We’ve always been an aggressive marketer and taken huge risks over our marketing budgets.” As part of their commitment, Osmow’s supplements franchisee marketing contributions with an additional corporate investment to ensure the brand remains relevant, visible and top-of-mind to consumers.
They place an equal emphasis on food quality and the customer experience to ensure timely, consistent service. With their own production facilities and links to a strong supply chain, they easily maintain quality across the growing network.
At a time when dining out has become expensive for many families, Osmow’s also continues to position itself as a place where customers can enjoy a fresh, healthier meal at a reasonable price point. “You will never wonder whether or not this food is good for your family,” says Ben.
On working with family, Ben says they have a unique dynamic. “The three of us are the least stressed-out people you’ll ever meet. It’s been good.”
Though the Osmow’s brand has grown over the years, Ben is quick to credit his father for laying the foundation. “My dad is the most humble person in the world. My sister and I do everything we can to make sure he’s the face of the brand. He’s the legacy.”
Despite their different roles, the family remains united by a shared commitment to the business. “It works really well. Obviously, we have our quarrels, but we’ll go to lunch and talk about it. We need to be a united front, but we also need to argue every single point to make sure we’re making the best decision for the brand.”
For the Osmow family, growth has never been about moving beyond their roots. Instead, it’s about building on them.
At 25 years old, when Ben stepped in as CEO and Bernadette as president, Sam handed them the reins and encouraged them to take the business to the next level. “I think about the humility he had to have. He built this; he laid the foundation. I like to think we did that and then some. We’ve grown the business more than ten times at this point. The hope is we continue building a legacy in his name.”
As the brand continues to grow, its commitment to giving back grows alongside it through the Osmow’s Hope Fund. “As much as we grow as a brand, we also grow our charity. The goal is for the charity to never grow 1 per cent smaller than our company’s growth.”
The initiative supports long-term community development work, including annual programs in Zambia that provide daily meals for over 3,000 children and the construction of kitchens and clean water wells, and an expanded Canadian partnership is expected to launch in the second half of 2026.
For prospective franchisees considering which brands and networks they’d like to become a part of, Ben advises to do their homework and talk to the people already in the system. “There are so many brands that look on good paper, they’ve got a lot of makeup on. But the reality is the franchisees will tell you a different story. They will tell you the marketing looks great, but we’re not making money.”
He cautions against stopping at just one conversation, encouraging a broader perspective by speaking with at least two or three franchisees to gain a more accurate understanding of the overall experience. “They’ll tell you exactly what their experience is, and whether the office answers their phone calls and takes them seriously and listens to them when they have a new idea.”
Honouring the founder
For Ben and Bernadette, seeing Sam recognized with the CFA 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award was an opportunity to honour the sacrifices that made the company possible.
“It’s truly heartwarming for us because it allows us to take a step back and celebrate the win he very much deserves,” says Ben, adding that it is meaningful to be recognized as a Canadian entrepreneur. “It’s always amazing when you see a Canadian entrepreneur build something that has grown across Canada and beyond.”
He is quick to point out that none of the brand’s success would have been possible without his father, the cornerstone of their legacy. “My sister and I have grown the company, but we will never feel like it is more work than what he had to do to build the foundation.”
Although neither Ben nor Bernadette seek the spotlight, they have made a conscious effort to ensure their father remains the face of the brand and the story behind its success. “The story makes us—all of us—a little bit better and makes us realize it’s all about the hard work you put in. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
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