Mediterranean fast-casual Shawarma Press opened its second of seven planned locations inside Texas Walmart stores. The first opened in San Antonio in January, the second in Arlington, and others are planned in Plano, Georgetown, Lufkin, Temple and Wichita Falls.
Like everything in the Lone Star State, these locations are big. The Arlington location takes up a spacious 2,500 square feet and features a colorful dining room designed to attract both lone diners or a whole crowd. It even offers a catering service.
The menu includes an assortment of appetizers such as grape leaf rolls, falafel bites, seasoned french fries, homemade cheese and spinach pastries as well as fresh salads, soups, wraps, bowls, baklava and ice cream. However, since the first Shawarma Press debuted in Irving in 2017, the star of the menu continues to be shawarma. The Mediterranean wraps are prepared with thin slices of chicken or beef stacked in cone-like shapes, then slowly roasted on a rotisserie
"We are excited that Walmart's curated food service will result in more people experiencing our authentic Mediterranean cuisine," says Sawsan Abublan, CEO and Co-Founder of Shawarma Press. "Our guests say they appreciate that our dishes are made from scratch, including our famous hummus, falafel, and sauces that are available for take-out or dine-in at Walmart. We also use only high-quality ingredients, including 100% natural chicken and premium beef raised with no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics, and everything is prepared and humanely handled according to Halal guidelines."
Abublan noted that finding traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes was challenging when she first arrived in the states from Jordan.
"When my family moved to Texas 25 years ago, it was impossible to find shawarma and the beloved Mediterranean foods we craved," says Abublan. "We identified a need, and we are now pleased to be the first to offer authentic, fast-casual Mediterranean food to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and to have the opportunity to expand throughout Texas and eventually to other states."