Jatin Sapra brings Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours to small-town Ontario with his Osmow’s franchise
By Daniel McIntosh
Since its founding in 2001, Osmow’s has become a prominent shawarma franchise, growing to more than 150 locations across North America. The brand offers a range of classic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes including pita wraps stuffed with chicken, beef, lamb, Beyond Steak™, or falafel, plus a wide assortment of veggies and signature sauces.
For Jatin Sapra, the “good food” drew him to franchising with Osmow’s. “I need to able to vouch for what I’m serving to my guests. With Osmow’s, I know I can,” says Sapra. “I can hold my head high and say—whatever my guests are eating—it’s good. It’s really good.”
Sapra already has experience as a franchisee (he also owns several burger franchises), and his ability to spot stellar franchise opportunities hasn’t dulled. In fact, it’s taught him which qualities to look for in a well-run, profitable business, like the good marketing and memorable customer service he found with Osmow’s family-run head office. “When there’s a family name behind the brand, the standard of service is that much higher,” he notes. “People do come in and tell me, ‘We know Sam, and we’ve been to the location where he actually started.’ It makes you feel proud that you’re a part of a company that people are really talking about and I really appreciate that.”
A suburban shawarma boom
Sapra opened his first Osmow’s location in Cambridge in July 2022 and says, “support from the head office was tremendous.” But opening a restaurant comes with its own set of challenges that can only be managed head-on by a franchisee.
He says most issues can be effectively managed if the franchisee is actively engaged in the business. “They need to be hands-on; they need to be able to get their hands dirty,” says Sapra. “If you’re up for that, then yes, this is the right choice.”
Because of his franchising experience before joining Osmow’s, Sapra had bona fide food handling and business management skills, which made the onboarding process easier. He recommends that incoming franchisees have a similar background.
Furthermore, Sapra says franchisees need employee management skills to address staffing issues and guide their locations through some of the tough situations that restauranteurs may find themselves in. “You should be a people person. If your employees are happy, then you’ll have a smile on your face,” he says.
Sapra recently opened a second location in the hamlet of Paris, Ontario and he’s anticipating a third location by the end of the year in Waterloo, Ontario. “I’m only in smaller towns, so I have to have expertise and be involved with the community,” says Sapra. “It’s the same guidance I got from Osmow’s, that community is the biggest value in small towns. Make sure you’re involved in that.”
The recipe for franchise success
He abides by a list of three essentials when it comes to outstanding food service. “One is food safety. Second is cleanliness: the restaurant should always be top-notch clean when guests walk in. The third is an excellent guest experience,” Sapra explains. “When guests walk in, make it feel like it’s their restaurant—so whatever they’re ordering, they can feel confident in ordering from us.” Inspiring confidence among guests is especially important when introducing new concepts in rural areas.
Sapra notes that Canadians in smaller towns are looking for additional variety, saying people appreciate Osmow’s and want to try it. “They’re going to say, ‘I really want to try Middle Eastern cuisine today’ or ‘feed me something out of my comfort zone,’” says Sapra.
Despite having franchise experience, Sapra still received training from the head office. For Osmow’s franchisees, training begins with a two- to four-week stint at the corporate restaurant, cycling through the various duties of restaurant management including POS (point of sale) systems and applications. “I trained for almost 17 days, and I was ready to open my own restaurant,” recalls Sapra.
Franchise anniversary
Despite the rising cost of goods and services, he says that Osmow’s has fared well with supply management. While other brands may struggle to consistently receive product, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osmow’s’ centralized commissary and established connections with suppliers make it easier for franchisees to maintain their in-store experience. “When we’re facing guests in the front it’s a problem if we have to say no to them,” says Sapra. “We just don’t want to say no to the guests, and [the corporate team] makes sure that everything we need is very easily accessible.”
Although he’s only just celebrated his first anniversary as an Osmow’s franchisee, Sapra says he would love to open even more locations with the stellar support of the head office team behind him. Similarly, he wants to provide opportunities for managers and employees working at his stores to act like leaders. “I don’t consider them as employees. I consider them as being on my team.”
Keeping the team members happy, although easier said than done, is the basis for success, according to Sapra. “My biggest suggestion would be to work towards your management skill and be a people person because if your people are happy, then yes, you can definitely work wonders.”
