A Canadian shawarma chain is putting down its first Ohio roots in Cleveland, and it's bringing a free-meal giveaway with it. Osmow's Mediterranean opens its doors at 11415 Euclid Ave. in University Circle on Oct. 8, with the first 200 customers in line walking away with a free regular Chicken on the Rox meal.
The 10:30 a.m. opening marks the first Ohio restaurant for the fast-casual brand, according to Cleveland.com. The University Circle location is owned and operated by local quick-service restaurant operators, the outlet reports, and it specializes in Mediterranean fast-casual fare built around chicken and other meats cooked on a vertical rotisserie, with meat carved to order for each dish.
Shawarma itself has deep roots that predate the chain by centuries. The cooking method originated in the Middle East and dates back to the Ottoman Empire, per the same report, with the word shawarma coming from an Arabic term meaning “to turn” or “rotate.” That rotation matters for more than tradition: marinated meat is stacked on a vertical skewer and slowly rotated as it cooks, a process that helps the meat cook gradually and evenly, stay tender, and develop flavor as it turns.
What's on the Menu at the New Location
Beyond the signature shawarma, the University Circle menu includes Shawarma on the Stix served over french fries, shawarma poutine, and wrapboxes, according to Cleveland.com's reporting. The company's own site lists shawarma wraps filled with chicken, beef, lamb or falafel, each served with a choice of rice, fries or salad, and notes that catering is available for events and group gatherings ranging from small get-togethers to parties of 500 or more, per Osmow's.
The brand's story traces back a quarter-century to Ontario, Canada. Sam Osmow, an Egyptian immigrant, founded Osmow's Mediterranean in 2001, after leaving Egypt in 1998 and investing his savings in a small sub shop in Streetsville, Ontario, according to the company's own account on Osmow's about page. What started as a single Ontario restaurant has since grown into a sprawling North American footprint, with the brand now led by Sam's children, Ben Osmow as CEO and Bernadette Osmow as president.
A Fast-Growing Chain Eyeing 500 Locations
Just how big Osmow's has gotten depends on which account you read. The company's own about page says it operates with over 230 locations, while Retail Insider reported in September that Osmow's had opened its 250th location as the family-run chain marked 25 years in business. Either way, the growth has been swift since the company began franchising in 2015, as Fast Casual reported in its profile of the brand.
Osmow's has been methodical about its U.S. expansion, testing eight different American markets to see what works, according to Restaurant Business. The chain opened its first U.S. location in Miami, then expanded into Virginia and Michigan, with Ohio, Dallas and New Jersey among the markets it planned to enter next, the outlet reported. Company leadership has said the goal is to become the largest Mediterranean brand in the world, with executives telling Retail Insider they see no reason the chain can't hit 500 locations within the next couple of years.
Not the Only Chain Giveaway in Cleveland's Suburbs
Opening-day giveaways tied to new restaurant launches aren't unique to Osmow's in the Cleveland area this year. Chicken Salad Chick, an Alabama-based chain, opened at 3038 Westgate Mall Drive in Fairview Park's Westgate Shopping Center in August, offering the first 100 customers free chicken salad for a year, with perks varying based on where they landed in line, Cleveland.com reported. That location is owned and operated by Doug and Angela Fitch, Avon residents who were first-time Chicken Salad Chick franchisees, according to the outlet's earlier coverage.
For University Circle regulars and shawarma fans across Cleveland, the Oct. 8 opening offers a chance to sample a brand that has spent a decade building out its franchise network before landing in Ohio. Whether the free-meal giveaway draws a line stretching down Euclid Avenue remains to be seen, but the chain's rapid North American growth suggests it won't be shy about marketing the debut.
