![\"Shawarma](\"https:\/\/brizodata.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/brizo-restaurants-shawarma-press-exterior.jpg\")
It\u2019s often been said that food is the best medicine. So it makes sense that the founder and CEO of healthful-fare chain <\/span>Shawarma Press<\/span><\/a> is a pharmacist by trade. She\u2019s called the U.S. home for 25 years, but Sawsan Abublan and husband Ehap Sabri never lost their appetites for a good shawarma wrap. \u201cWhenever we would travel overseas, we\u2019d seek it out because we craved it all the time,\u201d she says. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we wanted to start our own business outside of the corporate world.\u201d With her spouse, who has a Ph.D. in supply chain management, she immersed herself in market research and created a business plan to bring delicious, healthful shawarma-centric food to the locals in Irving, Texas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIt was a natural fit, according to Abublan. \u201cWe complemented each other. He understands business plans, and my background came into play with regard to the healthful aspect of what we were trying to accomplish. And Mediterranean food is really making in-roads with health-conscious diners,\u201d she says. In addition to its signature wraps, Shawarma Press offers appetizers, like stuffed grape leaves and falafel bites, as well as an array of salads, bowls, and platters, as well as Mediterranean desserts. To help capture the hearts and stomachs of people in search of \u201ccleaner\u201d eats, Abublan made it a point to feature <\/span>an interactive tool<\/span><\/a> on the Shawarma Press website that allows users to calculate all the nutrition information. \u201cIt\u2019s customizable, so you can know exactly what you\u2019re getting and you can add and subtract ingredients to get a dish within the calorie and nutrient range you\u2019re seeking,\u201d notes Abublan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Abublan isn\u2019t stopping there. She has launched <\/span>a franchise arm<\/span><\/a>, and now has a team of experts in place to help guide franchisees to success, assisting with everything from site selection to marketing. When assessing franchise applicants, she and her group of advisors look for several qualities. \u201cWe seek out people who are enthusiastic and passionate, people who want to build and run their own business. A business background and the ability to learn quickly are also things we look for,\u201d she states.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking of helping others, Shawarma Press managed to navigate the pandemic and the related labor shortage successfully through the assistance of friends and family who rallied around the restaurant. \u201cMy daughter was behind the cash register helping, and my husband and I both spent a lot of time at the restaurant,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was great to see the community around us being supportive. Even from the moment we started pursuing this, I was very lucky because everyone was so supportive. No one said, \u2018Oh, you can\u2019t do this.\u2019 They said, \u2018Go for it!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n About Brizo Data, Inc.:<\/b>\u00a0Brizo Data helps the foodservice industry by providing the strategic data you need to win in your market. We empower restaurant vendors and restauranteurs with better data for Business Intelligence, Market Research, and Competitive Analysis. Brizo monitors the online footprint of every food serving establishment in the US and Canada \u2013 from social media presence, online reviews, menu items, market composition, and even technological choices.<\/p>\n What happens when you can\u2019t find a restaurant serving the food you crave? Shawarma Press founder Sawsan Abublan opened her own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bfm"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Shawarma](\"https:\/\/brizodata.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/brizo-restaurants-shawarma-press-mezza-platter.jpg\")
The couple drew on their knack for analytics when selecting the site for their flagship Shawarma Press, which opened nearly five years ago. \u201cWe looked for a mix of residential and businesses, but we are fortunate in that our cuisine appeals to a wide demographic. Even if diners aren\u2019t necessarily looking for healthy food, they love the taste of it,\u201d she says. The company is expanding its footprint with several franchises opening in Walmart stores in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Shawarma](\"https:\/\/brizodata.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/brizo-restaurants-shawarma-press-wraps.jpeg\")
They also keep an eye out for both team members and franchisee applicants who share the company\u2019s core values: social responsibility; integrity; trustworthiness, and excellence. \u201cWhen we opened our first location, we immediately reached out to non-profit organizations to see how we could help support less fortunate people around us. So future franchisees will be required to do the same in the communities in which they operate,\u201d Abublan says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Shawarma](\"https:\/\/brizodata.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/brizo-restaurants-shawarma-press-hummus.jpeg\")
As for the future, Abublan believes \u201cthe sky is the limit. But when you grow you have to study the markets and expand in a meaningful and wise way. We never want to sacrifice the quality of the products.\u201d She urges aspiring restaurateurs to go after their dreams \u2013 but not without doing their homework. And that is why she believes a franchise is a good entree into operating a restaurant. \u201cThe founders have done a lot of research, and as a franchisee, you can learn from others. It took my husband and me five years for all of this to become a reality, so we can be a resource for others,\u201d Abublan shares.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nFor more information, questions or to set up a free trial contact\u00a0cheers@brizodata.com<\/a>\u00a0or click here \u2018Get Started for FREE<\/a>\u2019 .<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"