Shawarmanji: Redefining a popular sandwich

A LEVANTINE Arab meat preparation, shawarma, is a fast food staple for throngs in the region. However, this sandwich wrap managed to touch the hearts of young entrepreneurs who not only gave it an identity but also some class. Today, the restaurant chain, Shawarmanji, operating from Dubai (UAE) and Lebanon, is a brand reckoned with scrumptious shawarma sandwiches and multiple variations, attending to the diverse demographics of the region.

Shawarmanji’s current CEO, Elias Chabtini is an economics graduate and a total foodie at heart. Operating in the F&B industry for more than a decade, he is a workaholic who considers his profession his passion. In this exclusive interview Food Manufacturing Journal – Middle East & Africa, Mr Chabtini talks about his company’s growth and expansion goals.

How and when was Shawarmanji conceptualised?

The Shawarmanji concept started with a zealous entrepreneur, Daniel Georr. Hailing from an advertising background, Georr noticed a huge gap for Arabic sandwiches which were sold heavily yet were not branded. He and I realised that the second most liked and consumed sandwich in the Middle East was not branded. So a group of entrepreneurs, myself included, created the concept of Shawarmanji where we tried to redefine the concept of a shawarma sandwich – a meal that is tasty, clean and very affordable.

Which products and services do you offer at Shawarmanji?

At Shawarmanji we offer the original beef and chicken sharwarma sandwiches but also offer a variety of derived sandwiches for people seeking something different such as coleslaw, caramelised onions, etc. We offer health conscious food such as shakermamji sandwiches for carbohydrate conscious customers, vegetarian options for customers seeking meat-free meals, delicious variety of delectable desserts and a scrumptious menu for our little customers. We also offer homedelivery services and try and ensure that our food reaches our customers in a fresh and healthy state.

 How would you define the ultimate shawarma?

Shawarma is a simple yet hearty sandwich encompassing [the] right quantities of marinated meat filling and garnish in fresh white bread, doused in juicy meat and sesame sauce. It is healthy while it is filling and offers a look into the cuisine culture of the Arab world.

What would you say would be distinct about your restaurant’s sandwiches as compared to the others?

We offer diversity in choices, flavours and appearances. We have more choices in sandwiches but our original shawarma comes in different ways, too, where you can have it in a bite, in a cup or in a sandwich. We offer myriad of flavours, maintaining our original indigenous choices of chicken and beef but our interesting mix contains flavours with caramelised onions, coleslaw chicken and the shaker. We cater to our vegetarian audiences, too and offer them shawarma sandwiches containing cauliflower and potato.

At Shawarmanji, the entire experience of creating tasty and variant shawarma wrapsAir Jordan