WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A SHAWARMA BUSINESS PART 2
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2026 5:43 am
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A SHAWARMA BUSINESS PART 2
4. Learn How to Make Delicious Shawarma
Your shawarma’s taste is one of the most important factors determining whether customers return.
You should learn how to:
* Season and marinate chicken or beef properly.
* Cook the meat thoroughly.
* Prepare tasty shawarma sauce.
* Slice cabbage, carrots, onions, and other vegetables consistently.
* Choose suitable shawarma bread.
* Balance the meat, vegetables, and sauce.
* Wrap the shawarma neatly.
* Maintain consistent taste from one day to another.
Before opening, practise several recipes and allow people to taste them.
Ask them about the flavour, quantity of meat, sauce, size, and price.
A good shawarma is not simply one with plenty of mayonnaise. It should have well-seasoned meat, fresh ingredients, balanced sauce, and the right texture.
5. Choose the Right Location
Your location can make a significant difference to your sales.
Look for places with:
* High pedestrian traffic.
* Students and young adults.
* Offices and business centres.
* Residential neighbourhoods.
* Restaurants and other food businesses.
* Good visibility from the road.
* Reliable access to electricity and water.
* Space for customers to wait safely.
If you plan to operate in Nigeria, you could investigate areas around universities, busy roads, shopping centres, and evening entertainment spots.
However, a busy location is not automatically a profitable one.
Before paying rent, investigate:
1. How many people pass the location daily?
2. Are people buying food in the area?
3. How many shawarma sellers are nearby?
4. What prices do competitors charge?
5. Can you operate safely and hygienically?
6. Will rent leave enough money for your other expenses?
Visit the proposed location during the afternoon and evening to observe customer activity.
6. Know Your Competitors
Visit at least three shawarma businesses in your intended area.
Find something that makes your business different, such as better seasoning, reliable portion sizes, faster service, cleaner preparation, or excellent customer care.
7. Find Reliable Suppliers
You will need a consistent supply of quality ingredients.
Your main supplies may include:
* Chicken and beef.
* Shawarma bread or wraps.
* Cabbage and carrots.
* Onions and other vegetables.
* Mayonnaise and other sauce ingredients.
* Seasonings and spices.
* Cheese and sausages.
* Aluminium foil and packaging bags.
* Cooking gas.
Compare wholesale and retail prices before choosing suppliers.
Ask suppliers about delivery, freshness, payment terms, and what happens when an item is unavailable.
Tip: Have at least two suppliers for important ingredients so your business can continue operating when one supplier runs out of stock.
8. Learn Food Hygiene and Safety
Food safety is essential because customers trust you to prepare food that will not make them sick.
Follow these practices:
* Wash your hands before preparing food and after handling raw meat.
* Keep raw chicken and beef separate from cooked meat and vegetables.
* Use separate chopping boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat ingredients.
* Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated at safe temperatures.
* Cook chicken and other meats thoroughly.
* Use clean water for washing vegetables and utensils.
* Keep sauces and vegetables properly chilled when required.
* Clean work surfaces regularly.
* Keep flies, rodents, dust, and other contaminants away.
* Never sell meat that has spoiled or been stored unsafely.
For reference, the US Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping refrigerators at or below 4°C and cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 74°C. Follow applicable Nigerian food-safety guidance as well.
Remember that mayonnaise-based sauces and cut vegetables also require proper handling and temperature control.
9. Learn How to Calculate Your Selling Price
This is one of the most important parts of running a profitable shawarma business.
Do not choose your price simply because another seller charges that amount.
Calculate the cost of making one shawarma.
Example: Cost of making one chicken shawarma
The following figures are illustrative only, not current market quotations.
4. Learn How to Make Delicious Shawarma
Your shawarma’s taste is one of the most important factors determining whether customers return.
You should learn how to:
* Season and marinate chicken or beef properly.
* Cook the meat thoroughly.
* Prepare tasty shawarma sauce.
* Slice cabbage, carrots, onions, and other vegetables consistently.
* Choose suitable shawarma bread.
* Balance the meat, vegetables, and sauce.
* Wrap the shawarma neatly.
* Maintain consistent taste from one day to another.
Before opening, practise several recipes and allow people to taste them.
Ask them about the flavour, quantity of meat, sauce, size, and price.
A good shawarma is not simply one with plenty of mayonnaise. It should have well-seasoned meat, fresh ingredients, balanced sauce, and the right texture.
5. Choose the Right Location
Your location can make a significant difference to your sales.
Look for places with:
* High pedestrian traffic.
* Students and young adults.
* Offices and business centres.
* Residential neighbourhoods.
* Restaurants and other food businesses.
* Good visibility from the road.
* Reliable access to electricity and water.
* Space for customers to wait safely.
If you plan to operate in Nigeria, you could investigate areas around universities, busy roads, shopping centres, and evening entertainment spots.
However, a busy location is not automatically a profitable one.
Before paying rent, investigate:
1. How many people pass the location daily?
2. Are people buying food in the area?
3. How many shawarma sellers are nearby?
4. What prices do competitors charge?
5. Can you operate safely and hygienically?
6. Will rent leave enough money for your other expenses?
Visit the proposed location during the afternoon and evening to observe customer activity.
6. Know Your Competitors
Visit at least three shawarma businesses in your intended area.
Find something that makes your business different, such as better seasoning, reliable portion sizes, faster service, cleaner preparation, or excellent customer care.
7. Find Reliable Suppliers
You will need a consistent supply of quality ingredients.
Your main supplies may include:
* Chicken and beef.
* Shawarma bread or wraps.
* Cabbage and carrots.
* Onions and other vegetables.
* Mayonnaise and other sauce ingredients.
* Seasonings and spices.
* Cheese and sausages.
* Aluminium foil and packaging bags.
* Cooking gas.
Compare wholesale and retail prices before choosing suppliers.
Ask suppliers about delivery, freshness, payment terms, and what happens when an item is unavailable.
Tip: Have at least two suppliers for important ingredients so your business can continue operating when one supplier runs out of stock.
8. Learn Food Hygiene and Safety
Food safety is essential because customers trust you to prepare food that will not make them sick.
Follow these practices:
* Wash your hands before preparing food and after handling raw meat.
* Keep raw chicken and beef separate from cooked meat and vegetables.
* Use separate chopping boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat ingredients.
* Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated at safe temperatures.
* Cook chicken and other meats thoroughly.
* Use clean water for washing vegetables and utensils.
* Keep sauces and vegetables properly chilled when required.
* Clean work surfaces regularly.
* Keep flies, rodents, dust, and other contaminants away.
* Never sell meat that has spoiled or been stored unsafely.
For reference, the US Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping refrigerators at or below 4°C and cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 74°C. Follow applicable Nigerian food-safety guidance as well.
Remember that mayonnaise-based sauces and cut vegetables also require proper handling and temperature control.
9. Learn How to Calculate Your Selling Price
This is one of the most important parts of running a profitable shawarma business.
Do not choose your price simply because another seller charges that amount.
Calculate the cost of making one shawarma.
Example: Cost of making one chicken shawarma
The following figures are illustrative only, not current market quotations.