Tops Shawarma has made a tasty comeback in the heart of Cambridge.
When Fareid Ahmadi's brother and business partner moved back to England just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair had to make the difficult decision to sell their Queen Street restaurant.
With Ahmadi already owning another business in the city at the time, the idea of running the eatery the siblings started in 2009 by himself didn't seem feasible.
But shortly after the sale, regret began to sink in.
"I wanted it from the day we sold it," Ahmadi said.
"After a few months I started regretting it. I thought I should've kept the restaurant and sold the other business. One day I said I'd reopen."
And that's exactly what he did as he opened the doors of Tops Shawarma at 49 Main Street in Galt a few weeks ago.
Opening a second time was much easier thanks to his background knowledge of how the business side works.
"I always loved cooking," he said.
"The first restaurant when I opened it with my brother it was a little bit tough at the beginning because you have to get used to running the restaurant, taking the orders, making the sauces and the food. It's more than just cooking but once I was on track, I loved and enjoyed it."
Ahmadi had been mulling the idea of a return for a few years but just recently started to look for the right spot to resurrect the restaurant.
"I've always had a desire to make food," he said.
"I had good memories from the other restaurant and I was looking for four or five months when I found this spot. It was in the core so I said 'let's give it a try.'"
After renovating the space and getting it ready to welcome customers, he held the grand opening at the end of October. Ahmadi said some people were lined up waiting for an hour and a half to get a taste.
Selling a variety of options from shawarma to homemade beef burgers, chicken burgers, falafel and even poutine, he takes pride in his variety. But what he believes makes his spot stand out from others are the sauces and rice.
Since its return, the reception from the community and neighbouring businesses has been positive, Ahmadi said.
"It's been really good, I love the people around here," he said.
"The area is nice, the neighbours are good and the customers have been great. It's been a really good response."
