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How Shawarmer Built a Scalable Model in a Complex Category | The Jil Assaf Story
In this episode of Restrocast, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Jil Assaf, COO at Shawarmer, to trace his journey from running a snack counter in Beirut to leading Shawarmer. Jil shares lessons from consulting, operating across the Middle East, tripling profits at Shawarmer, and why Saudi Arabia is an exciting market for restaurant growth today.
Jil Assaf
Chief Operations Officer, Shawarmer
Jil Assaf is the Chief Operations Officer at Shawarmer, leading large-scale operational and profitability transformations as the brand prepares for international expansion. With leadership roles at Burj Al Hamam and as Managing Partner at Lumen Hospitality Consultants, Jil has driven business growth, franchising, and capability building across the MENA region. He holds a Hospitality Management degree from EHL Lausanne.
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.