Business View Magazine | Volume 9, Issue 2

124 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2 underperforming. We were on the second mortgage and it was not doing well. Then my dad decided to put a little more investment into it. So, that year at our local Bread and Honey festival, he actually made a few hundred shawarmas, chopped them up in pieces, and gave them to myself and my sisters to pass around to everybody as free samples – along with a menu. Literally, from that day onwards, we started getting more traffic and seeing business pick up and it never really slowed down.” Around 2015, Osmow’s reached the point where they were ready to branch out. They began opening up franchises across Ontario and now have 125 locations throughout Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, with plans to continue expanding. “We are looking forward to a really strong 2022 for openings,” Ben says. “I think this year will be the year we hit that 150 mark.” Osmow’s approach to choosing franchisees a little different than most places. Their focus isn’t on restaurant experience, or a solid resume. In fact, some of their best franchisees are people who have never worked in a restaurant. The company looks for character and drive in a potential candidate. They challenge their potential franchisees to answer specific