A shawarma shop that started in a London, Ontario strip mall in 2012 now has 74 locations, and the next one is going into Fraser Street.
We spotted signs up at 4430 Fraser Street for Tahini’s, in one of the recently completed Arlo developments along the street.
The sign reads Mediterranean Fusion under the name, with the chain’s red flame logo beside it.
The windows behind it are still papered.
This will be the third Tahini’s inside Vancouver proper.
The downtown shop at 488 West Pender is already running, and a second at Renfrew Station is still under renovation.
Across the province it is further along than most people realise. Before downtown Vancouver opened, the chain already had outposts in Kelowna, Surrey and North Vancouver.
Count them up and Fraser Street would be the sixth Tahini’s in British Columbia, and the third inside the city itself, from a standing start of zero not many years ago.
The chain is a genuine Canadian success story rather than an American import.
Brothers Aly and Omar Hamam started it with their cousin Ahmed Dessouki in London, Ontario in 2012, and it has grown past 74 locations across the country under the tagline “Eat Unbland.”
The menu earns that line more than most.
Alongside standard chicken and beef shawarma wraps and bowls, the chain runs fusion versions including butter chicken shawarma, Jamaican jerk chicken shawarma, and Korean BBQ shawarma.
It also rotates limited items through the menu rather than leaving it static, with a Shawarma Ramen running as a recent special.
The downtown Vancouver location stays open until 3am, which is the detail that made it matter in a city with a thin late-night scene.
Whether Fraser Street gets those hours is unknown.
Tahini’s joins a run of upcoming Vancouver spots including Crepe Spot, Danbo Express UBC, and Unveil Coffee Roasters.
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Address: 4430 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC
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