Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 1 February, 2015 8:43 am |

- ‘Shawerma for the soul’ is the mantra of Shawermaty which is eyeing franchise operations across MENA and beyond


Shawermaty, the UAE franchise brand that promises to offer ‘real shawerma with a gourmet touch’, has opened its second outlet in Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road, after the resounding success of its debut outlet in Jumeirah Lake Towers.
The new outlet is a continuation of the brand’s five year plan focused on becoming a leading shawerma brand in UAE and the region. According to Mohammad Mahafza, Managing Partner and Head of Operations, Shawermaty is making an investment of AED 20 million for opening new branches, while at the same time pursuing a strategy of opening franchisee-run outlets.
Located in City Tower 1, the new branch of Shawermaty is targeting the offices on Sheikh Zayed Road, DIFC, and the residential areas of Jumeirah and its environs.
Mohammad Mahafza, an experienced F&B professional who has worked with international hotel chains, says Shawermaty was born out of his desire to raise the humble shawerma to the gourmet level without the ‘attitude’. “We call it ‘shawerma for the soul’ and we truly believe we have created the best shawerma in town after years of experimentation and innovation.”
Backed by over 50 years of accumulated experience in the Industry, the Shawermaty Gourmet team has created the perfect mix of authentic spices, mixed with the highest quality of beef and chicken to craft specialty shawerma-based products, such as Salads and Appetisers, sandwiches, meals, sauces and desserts. It serves different kinds of breads, including its in-house ‘Maty’ bread.
“The inspiration for Shawermaty Gourmet came when I realized that there was lack of good shawerma in Dubai. Most shawerma places offer totally distorted shawerma by mixing all types of materials,” says Mohammed Mahafza. “Thus began my chase of the real shawerma, which takes the customers to the basics, while offering a fastfood with a higher quality. We selected Dubai to launch Shawermaty because it is a regional and international hub, and a cosmopolitan place. Also, we have strong belief in the potential and economic strengths of the UAE.”
Shawermaty Gourmet launched its first outlet in Jumeirah Lake Towers under the ‘Shawermaty’ brand in October 2013, and has today become one of the most popular restaurants in the vicinity, and has won high ratings on several F&B related websites and portals. The JLT outlet also houses the chain’s central kitchen, which will ensure that the same quality of food is available in all its outlets in Dubai.
“Our vision is to become the No.1 brand in UAE, MENA region and beyond, among fast food Shawerma specialty restaurants, with quality benchmarks that apply not only to food but also to service, packaging and delivery,” says Mahafza. “Our main focus is to please our customers with the best mix of taste, quality, innovation & creativity, on-time delivery and traditional Arabian hospitality.”
Speaking about the franchise model, Mahafza commented: “The business model of Shawermaty Gourmet is very simple, but very proactive and can be customized as per the local market that the franchisee operates in. The brand is unique in its offering and the R&D team is very proud of their achievements.”
“As shawerma has universal appeal, we anticipate a huge demand from franchisees across the region. We are already in talks with several investors and expect to firm up partnerships within the next few months,” said Mahafza.
Shawermaty Gourmet also offers a full catering service to meet the growing demand for celebratory occasions and special functions.
The Sheikh Zayed Road outlet is open from 12 noon to midnight on weekdays, and until 4 am on weekends (Thursdays and Fridays).