From a Lambeth Food Trailer to 50 Locations: Shelby's Celebrates Its Milestone Brantford Opening with "Za Fest in Za West"

Canada's favourite shawarma chain marks its 50th store with a free community festival, a meal donation to Brantford General Hospital, and grand opening offers for local families

BRANTFORD, Ontario, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, September 20, Shelby's will open the doors of its 50th location at 221 Henry Street in Brantford, and the brand is inviting the entire community to join the celebration. The grand opening will feature "Za Fest in Za West," a free-entry community festival with inflatables, a reptile show, a live caricature artist, games, prizes and more, alongside opening-day offers that include 100 free Shawarma Boutines and 50% off wraps, bowls and signature items.

For a brand that started with a single trailer, it is a milestone worth celebrating.

A Family Recipe That Grew Into a Canadian Favourite

The Shelby's story began with two friends, Yazan and Yasser, who met in college and bonded over their shared Middle Eastern roots and a deep love for authentic food. In 2015, they began selling their mother's traditional chicken shawarma from a small food trailer in Lambeth, Ontario.

Word travelled fast, and guests kept coming back for the flavour, freshness and experience. That small trailer sparked a bigger vision: bringing something different to the local food scene. Shelby's would celebrate the rich traditions of Middle Eastern shawarma while drawing bold inspiration from flavours around the world.

In a little over a decade, that vision has grown into the most popular Canadian shawarma chain, with 50 locations across Ontario and Alberta, more than 8 million social media followers, and partnerships with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC and GoodLife Fitness. Throughout that growth, the founding philosophy has remained consistent: honour tradition, make everything fresh, and give every guest something legendary, or as Shawarma Man likes to say ‘somesing beddar’.

"When we started with one trailer in Lambeth, we never imagined we would one day be opening our 50th store," said Yazan El-Shalabi, co-founder of Shelby's. "Every location we have opened has been built on the support of the people around it. Reaching this milestone in Brantford, we wanted to say thank you in the best way we know how, by bringing the whole community together."

A Culture Built on Giving Back

Shelby's has grown one neighbourhood at a time, and the brand has never lost sight of who made that growth possible. Giving back to every community that has supported Shelby's is a core part of its culture, and each new location is an opportunity to be more than a restaurant: to be a good neighbour that shows up for the people it serves.

That commitment is at the heart of the Brantford opening. Rather than a traditional ribbon-cutting, Shelby's has dedicated its 50th-store celebration to the Brantford community, with free entrance for everyone and activities designed for families and guests of all ages.

Thanking Brantford's Healthcare Heroes

The celebration begins before the new store even opens its doors. On Friday, September 18, Shelby's will provide 100 free meals to the staff at Brantford General Hospital as a thank-you to the healthcare workers who care for the community every day.

As a tribute to where it all began, the Shelby's food truck will be on site for the cause. After the first 100 free meals are served, the truck will continue serving healthcare workers at special pricing in support of the hospital's frontline teams.

"Healthcare workers give so much of themselves to this community, often without a moment's break," said Yasser Ali, co-founder of Shelby's. "Our story started on wheels, so bringing our food truck to Brantford General Hospital to thank the people who keep this city healthy felt like the right way to begin our time here."

Za Fest in Za West: A Day for the Whole Family

On Sunday, the new Henry Street location will come alive with a community festival running from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entrance is free, and guests can enjoy inflatables and games, a reptile show, Creative Corners for young artists, a live caricature artist, a photobooth, and Shelby's giveaways and prizes throughout the afternoon.

Guests will also be among the first to taste Shelby's in Brantford, with two grand opening offers available in-store:

• 100 free Shawarma Boutines for the first 100 guests
• 50% off wraps, bowls and signature items all day, from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Whether they are longtime Shelby's fans or trying it for the very first time, Brantford residents are invited to come hungry, bring the family, and help celebrate a milestone that belongs as much to the community as it does to the brand.

Event at a Glance

What: Shelby's Brantford Grand Opening and "Za Fest in Za West" community festival When: Sunday, September 20, 2026. Grand opening from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; festival from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Where: 221 Henry Street, Brantford, ON Admission: Free

About Shelby's

Founded in 2015 by friends Yazan and Yasser as a single food trailer in Lambeth, Ontario, Shelby's is a fusion Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant brand that celebrates the traditions of shawarma with bold inspiration from flavours around the world. Today, Shelby's operates 50 plus locations across Ontario and Alberta, where guests can build their shawarma their way with fresh ingredients made in-house.

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support@shelbys.ca