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We are proud to nominate our Founder and CEO Mrs. Sawsan Abublan as the BEST Entrepreneur.
Sawsan is the true manifestation of the entrepreneurial spirit. She started her career as a pharmacist in 1998 and took a leap in 2016 after a deep market study and went from comforting patients to comfort foods by founding Shawarma Press Franchising, LLC. Her leadership skills and commitment with meticulous attention to details allowed her not only to establish the first authentic shawarma franchise in the US, but also to take this to the next level with a unique expansion model through Walmart as well as stand-alone locations. On the other hand, Sawsan was able to create a welcoming environment for franchisees, employees, and customers through inclusion and diversity. She is well known for her big heart as well as her sharp business acumen, a combination that set the stage for her business to flourish right at the 2022 mark. So on the expansion side, Shawarma Press went from 1 to 5 stores between January 2022 and April 2022 by opening 4 new locations inside Walmart in these key Texas cities: San Antonio, Arlington, Plano, and Georgetown. The brand added 3 more standalone locations between 2022 and 2023 in Frisco (TX), Dallas Arts District (TX), and Johns Creek (GA) marking the first out of state location, which is part of a 3-unit deal in the big ATL metro.
On the supply chain side and in order to support this growth, Sawsan established in 2022 a dedicated commissary for her proprietary menu items, something that small businesses don't normally think of doing early on, but she was forward thinking and was able to support her growth through strong production and distribution channels, this also ensured that menu items in all Shawarma Press locations maintain the same quality and taste.
With expansion also comes great opportunity for Community Involvement, so in January 2024 Sawsan announced a strategic partnership with CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees, a national non-profit organization that provides financial help to food and beverage service employees with children who face a life-altering health crisis, injury, death, or natural disaster. Shawarma Press contributions to this organization will help restaurant employees anywhere get a helping hand when they need it the most, a partnership that could not be more perfect. It’s also worth mentioning that the Shawarma Press FDD is unique in a way that, per the FDD, 1% of gross sales of all stores (corporate and franchisee owned) goes to local non-profit organizations. Shawarma Press efforts are well known in the local communities when it comes to helping ease families' hunger through homeless shelter food donations among many other efforts. Shawarma Press is also a big supporter of local schools and teachers through hosting fundraiser events and providing gift cards for teachers.
Along the way, Sawsan was able to create a welcoming environment for both employees and customers through inclusion and diversity, recently winning a Silver Stevie award specifically for her accomplishments towards diversity and inclusion, her efforts landed her brand multiple other awards like the 2022 Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers award (for the Walmart expansion) as well as the 2022 Innovation Award presented by Franchise Update Media for the Most Innovative Supply Chain (for establishing her commissary), and the 2023 Gold Stevie as the Woman of the Year in Franchising.
Sawsan has set the example for other women with her inspirational story of achievement, making the courageous decision of a career leap and creating a one of a kind franchise while fostering a welcoming culture for everyone to work and strive. We feel it is time for her efforts to be recognized because we believe that she is truly the best entrepreneur, and we hope her story will inspire others to follow their dreams, no matter how unattainable they may seem.
Nomination Title: Mrs. Sawsan Abublan, CEO
