Southgate, MI –A week ago, a viral Metro Detroit establishment known for its crispy shawarmas shared a huge announcement on social media — they’re expanding nationwide!

Amos Sami’s Shawarma posted the major milestone on their socials on April 13th. The post highlights 90 new locations, bringing the chain’s total to 102 locations in development across more than 14 states. Currently, Amos Sami’s Shawarma has five locations across Metro Detroit: Dearborn (food hall), Sterling Heights, Southgate (the newest), Warren, and Wayne.

The eye-catching shawarma eatery originally launched as Sami’s Fattoush in Sterling Heights back in 2016. Co-founder Weesam Ali eventually decided to get into the food truck circuit in 2022, which is when he says the crispy shawarma really took off.

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“From there, people kept asking us the same question everywhere we went, “When are you coming to our city?” Ali said. “The expansion is really our answer to that. We focused first on building the right systems, supply chain, and team so we could scale without compromising what made people fall in love with the food in the first place.”

The viral shawarma is inspired by the flavors of old Beirut and is meant to capture the true essence of Lebanese street food. The Amos Sami’s Shawarma sees each pita sandwich grilled to golden, providing a heavenly crunch. While there are different variations offered at Amos Sami’s Shawarma (even two vegan options!), all are served bursting at the pita seams with pickled veggies, your desired meat, and copious amounts of creamy garlic sauce. Regardless of which shawarma you choose, believe me, there are no wrong choices here!

I asked Ali what he and his team were most excited about regarding this national expansion.

“Honestly, it’s bringing something that started in Metro Detroit to the rest of the country. There’s a strong food culture here, especially around shawarma, and we’re proud to represent that on a national level. At the same time, we’re excited to keep the experience consistent—same flavors, same crispy shawarma, same energy—no matter where you walk into an Amo Sami’s,” Ali explained.

With multiple new franchise locations already in development, Ali said openings will start rolling out this year, with several expected nationwide before the end of the year. And while this achievement is certainly one worth celebrating, Ali says Michigan will always be special since it’s where everything started.

“One of our proudest moments is seeing how the community embraced the brand—from the early days to the food truck lines, to now having people travel just to try it. That kind of support is what made this expansion possible,” Ali said.

I decided to visit Amos Sami’s newest location, which opened downriver in Southgate at Northline and Dix Toledo roads. Ali also owns The Chicken Coupe, so at this location, you can choose either or both, depending on how hungry you are!

I met and chatted with the Southgate franchise owner, Samir, who has plans to add more locations under his franchise. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma and Sujok Sammie, along with fries. I wanted to showcase at least two of the shawarma options and get creative with the fries and dipping sides. Pro move, dip your fries in a side of garlic dip AND the hummus!

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The chicken shawarma comes with grilled chicken breast chunks, Lebanese pickles, and garlic sauce in a toasted pita. The Sujok Sammie features a marinated, spicy sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, garlic sauce, and hints of lemon, all in a toasted pita. As you can see from the images above, these sammies were long, crispy, and loaded with meat, veggies, and sauce.

These were both arguably the best shawarmas I’ve ever had, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Sujok Sammie, whose spicy sausage and seasoning marinade were top-tier. I can see why Amos Sami’s shawarmas went viral on social media; the visual and textural crunch to the toasted pita is everything. The pita is crispy enough to make a crunch, while still remaining soft and durable to hold the mass of ingredients. These shawarmas are hefty, loaded, and quite the foodie experience for any shawarma enthusiasts. A must-try if you’re in Metro Detroit — or, coming to a city soon near you!

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For more information about Amos Sami’s Shawarma, or to stay up to date on their new upcoming locations, click here. If you’re interested in franchise opportunities, click this link for more details.