Canada's Favourite Shawarma Chain Opens Its First Western Canada Location in Calgary This Sunday

Shelby's debuts on Macleod Trail October 25 with 100 free Shawarma Boutines, 50% off all day, and a family block party

CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The shawarma chain that started as a single food trailer in small-town Ontario is finally crossing into Alberta.

Shelby's opens its first Western Canada location on Sunday, October 25 at 9110 Macleod Trail SE, with doors opening at 12:00 p.m. and the celebration running until 9:00 p.m. It is a milestone moment for a brand that has grown to more than 50 restaurants in just over a decade, and the first time Calgarians will be able to try it without booking a flight east.

Opening day will feel less like a restaurant launch and more like a block party. A face painter and live caricature artists will be on site, with games running through the afternoon and prizes to be won. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Free Boutines and Half-Price deal

Two offers are likely to draw a line down Macleod Trail:

• The first 100 guests receive a free Shawarma Boutine, the dish that became a Shelby's signature: crispy fries loaded with chicken, garlic sauce, boutine sauce, chipotle sauce and topped with feta cheese.
• 50% off wraps, bowls and signature items, valid all day from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  
  

Both offers are in-store only, and the free Boutines are available while supplies last. Anyone hoping to land one of the 100 should plan to arrive early.

From a Food Trailer in Lambeth to More Than 50 Restaurants

Shelby's began in 2015 with two college friends, Yazan and Yasser, who shared Middle Eastern roots and a deep love for authentic food. They started by selling their mother's traditional chicken shawarma out of a small food trailer in Lambeth, Ontario.

The response was immediate. Guests kept coming back for the flavour, the freshness and the experience, and that trailer sparked a bigger idea: celebrate the traditions of Middle Eastern shawarma while drawing bold inspiration from flavours around the world and let every guest build their shawarma their way.

In a little over ten years, that idea has grown into one of Canada's most popular shawarma brands, with more than 50 locations, over 8 million social media followers, and partnerships with Toronto FC and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Calgary is the brand's first location in Alberta and its first anywhere in Western Canada.

"Calgary has been at the top of our list for a long time," said Yazan El-Shalabi, founder of Shelby's. "People from Alberta have been messaging us for years asking when we're coming west. Sunday is our answer, and we wanted to open the way we always do, with the whole neighbourhood invited."

Macleod Trail is a deliberate starting point rather than a one-off. Shelby's plans to continue expanding across Alberta in the coming years, with the potential to create hundreds of jobs in the province as new locations open.

"This is the beginning of a much longer story in Alberta," Yazan said. "We're not here to open one store. We want to grow here, hire here, and become part of these communities the same way we have in every city we've entered."

What to Order If You've Never Had Shelby's

For Calgarians trying the brand for the first time, the menu is built around choice. Guests can choose whether they want a wrap or a bowl, pick their base — rice, fries, salad or bulgur, then their protein— and build from there with house-made sauces and fresh toppings; Or simply grab one of the famous signature menu items.

The Shawarma Boutine is where most first-timers start, and the signature wraps are where regulars tend to land. With the half price celebration on opening day, Sunday is an inexpensive afternoon to work out which one you are.

Showing Up for the Neighbourhood

Community is a consistent part of how Shelby's enters a new market. The brand's 50th store opening in Brantford, Ontario last month included a free community festival and 100 donated meals for staff at Brantford General Hospital, served from the same style of food truck the company started with.

In Calgary, Shelby's is working with local vendors and local artists, including the face painter and caricature artists who will be entertaining guests during the opening day.

"Every store we open is built on the support of the people around it," Yasser Ali said. "That's why I like to spend opening day meeting the local community members," he added. Yasser, popularly known as Shawarma Man to the 8+ million fans on social media, is a crowd favourite at every Grand Opening. Like always, he is excited to meet his fans and supporters in Calgary on Sunday, October 25.

Grand Opening at a Glance

What: Shelby's Calgary Grand Opening — first location in Western Canada When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Where: 9110 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2J 0P5 Offers: Free Shawarma Boutine for the first 100 guests; 50% off wraps, bowls and signature items all day (in-store only, while supplies last) On site: Face painter, caricature artists, games and prizes Admission: Free

Can't make it on Sunday? Follow Shelby's at @SHELBYSCANADA for a full recap of opening day, plus Calgary offers, new menu drops and news on where Shelby's is heading next in Alberta.

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 brand that celebrates the traditions of shawarma with bold inspiration from flavours around the world. Shelby's now operates more than 50 locations across Canada, where guests build their shawarma their way with fresh ingredients prepared in-house daily.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91e563b5-889f-45df-aa1a-d65c8cb06dee

Media contact: Ajvad Rehmani, Marketing Manager, +1-647-425-6669, marketing@shelbys.ca