Despite first opening up shop in a notoriously difficult time for businesses around the world, Shawarma Alzaeem is expanding and providing customers with traditional Syrian cuisine. It is also sharing that success with those who need it most.
Business partner Amjad Alhariri moved to Canada in 1997, and has been involved in restaurants in some capacity since.
“Our business consists of a few partners with different specalizations,” Alhariri says. “By doing this, we can put all of our combined efforts into getting the best product for the customer.”
Fresh lahmajoun cheese bites, spinach bites, zaatar and more are baked directly in store. But the best seller is the traditional Syrian-style shawarma.
Syrian shawarma is a bit lighter on the spices, Alhariri says. But by no means is the wrap simple; it just lets the flavour of the meat – and the pickles – come through.
“Compared to similar cuisine, say Lebanese or Egyptian, we don’t emphasize too much on the spices, or the garlic,” Alhariri says. “It gives you more of the original taste of the chicken or the beef.”
Other than shawarma, Alzaeem also offers pita sandwiches – not only for customers, but for those who are unable to afford a meal that day on their own dime.
It’s an idea that came from both the Syrian and Muslim communities.
“It’s a way of paying back the community, it’s a social responsibility for us,” Alhariri says.
He estimates that about three people each day come into the restaurant in need of the free meal. The initiative isn’t run entirely out of the store’s pocket though, as many customers choose to donate a few extra bucks when they pick up their own food to cover the cost.
“In the Syrian and Muslim communities, it’s very popular to give back to those in need, just the same as it is in Canada,” Alhariri says. “I haven’t really seen this type of idea in many places around here, to be honest. So it’s sort of a new idea, and a lot of people in Burlington have supported it.”
Alhariri posted the initiative on the Burlington Together Facebook group, where he says the idea really took off and gathered a ton of support. Customers came in droves to tell him they’d seen the post online, and wanted to support the business.
Shawarma Alzaeem opened its doors in Mississauga in March 2020, the start of the COVID pandemic. A difficult time for some restaurants actually helped Alzaeem thrive in a world of no sit-down meals.
Instead, people clamoured to the new restaurant, and the company expanded to Burlington shortly after, officially opening on January 1, 2023.
“A lot of customers come from Hamilton or Oakville, and of course Burlington, it has been a great expansion for us,” Alhariri says. “We pretty much started this business from scratch, and since opening on New Year’s day, it has been great.”
