How Shawarmer Built a Scalable Model in a Complex Category | The Jil Assaf Story
Description
In this Restrocast episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Jil Assaf, COO at Shawarmer, to trace a career built on grit and reinvention. Jil recalls launching a teenage snack counter in a Beirut billiards hall, the Lebanese hustle shaped by instability, and operating across the Middle East.
He describes building the hospitality arm of Qatar’s Pearl Island, why a policy shift forced an exit, and how founding a 15-country consulting firm led to burnout, a reset in Saudi, and a renewed focus on health and purpose.
Jil shares the Burj Al Hamam turnaround, from low tech to digital and profitable even through COVID, then his venture at Shawarmer in 2021 as the brand crossed 120 stores. Planned international expansion paused while he rebuilt the operating system, strengthened unit economics, and prepared for IPO. He unpacks tripling profits through a detailed, sequenced plan, quick wins that fund long-term change, and leadership buy-in.
Find us online:
Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn
Jil Assaf- LinkedIn
United States
