Shawarma anyone? Osmow's Grill joins Guelph's busy downtown food landscape

Patience has finally paid off for Layla Dinkha.

Dinkha is the owner of the latest addition to Downtown Guelph's food scene, Osmow's Grill on Wyndham St. N.

The 24-seat restaurant leans heavily towards takeout Mediterranean food: shawarma, kebab, falafel and hummus being just some of the options, from full dinners (with rice and salad), sandwiches or just a side (a wide variety of salads).

"We've been waiting so long," said Dinkha. "We were hoping to be open last November."

Osmow's is located beside the Petrie Building and was part of that two-address renovation that has taken much longer than expected. Brothers Brewing next door is scheduled to be open in the next few weeks.

But Osmow's finally opened on Monday.

Dinkha, who hails from Iraq and currently lives in Brampton, opened the restaurant so that her sons Joseph and Jimmy Eeshw could run it.

The family hopes to relocate to Guelph in the near future.

George Rofail, a district manager with the Mississauga-based chain, said the Guelph Osmow's is the 28th Osmow's location. By year's end they will be up to 37 in 20 different Ontario towns.

It all started with a small sub restaurant in Streetsville opened by Egyptian immigrant Sam Osmow. In 2001 he shut down the sub shop and opened the first Osmow's.

"There was only one for 10 years and then about four years ago we started franchising," Rofail said.

"Our focus in on being extremely fresh," he said. "Extremely fresh because of how busy we are. We're forced to be fresh."

Osmow's will be open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days but open late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to tap into the late-night crowd, Rofail said.

"Customer service, quality ingredients, quantity, price and value, that's what we are all about," he said.

The complete Osmow's menu can be found at www.mrosmow.com/menu.