Ranked #3 on our “Byward’s Best Lunches Under $15” is Shawarma Palace, what we* think is the best shawarma in the city. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, its garlicy, it’s open late, service is friendly, service is quick, the portions are huge, and have I mentioned delicious? Of course it is a bit of a trek from Byward, but the day the shawarma craving hits, no other closer shawarma place (of which there are many) quite hit the spot. And while we absolutely love the garlic…the garlic sauce, the garlic in the hummus, the garlic on the protein, the garlic on the potatoes, etc., we have to make sure that no clients will be coming in later, as the office (and car) tends to hold in the smell :0)
With almost as many Shawarma place’s as Tim Hortons in Ottawa, we decided to sit down with the owner, Ahmed, and learn about his business strategies to stay on the top. Here are some quick highlights:
- Shawarma Palace is a family run business, and has been at 464 Rideau Street for 14 years
- Throughout the years, they’ve been growing their customer base from a mostly arab base to a largely international customer base
- The first Shawarma Palace owner has been in the food industry for 36 years – he and the family know the ins and out of the food business
- The current owner believes in no advertising; he believes in delivering great food and great service and relying on word of mouth marketing
“I’d rather continue giving away $1000 worth of baklawas to customers rather than get a $1000 newspaper ad, because that’s what customers remember the most.” – Ahmed, Current Owner - Fresh sauces, such as their hummus and garlic sauce, are made daily the lengthy and traditional way, from fresh non-canned ingredients, that is their differentiator
*Both Ashima and I have lived in the middle east and have been eating shawarma our entire lives – just to say that we can identify a good shawarma when taste one.
464 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON
613-789-9533
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