Founded in Canada, Mediterranean restaurant franchise Boustan is making its U.S. debut with two locations in Florida and two in New Jersey. The first Florida location launches in Clearwater next week, while Boustan’s South Florida debut can be expected in early fall, at 2283 SW 37th Avenue.
“Boustan is a brand that got started in 1986,” co-owner Emad Saad told What Now on Friday. “I acquired the brand in 2017. It was still being run like a mom-and-pop, and we did a lot of work to reorganize it and set it up for franchise growth.”
Since then, the brand has expanded across three provinces in Canada, where it plans to surpass 80 locations by the end of the year, mostly franchise-owned. Stateside, its Florida restaurants are corporate-owned, while the ones in the works in New Jersey are owned by a franchisee.
Saad says the brand stands out with the consistency of its food offerings. The menu has been redeveloped for the American market. It’s built around four pillars: Oven-Baked Pita Pockets (Warm, pillowy pockets filled with your choice of protein: house-marinated chicken shawarma, falafel, seasoned beef, kafta kebab, or vegan shittake kebab), Fresh Saj Wraps (Thin, crispy flatbreads that cradle our signature proteins and garden-fresh fillings), Build-Your-Own Bowls (Pick a base [choice of greens or grains], add proteins, veggies, sauces, and finishing touches—your bowl, your way), and other Signature Items, like the Boustan Bowl, the Medi-East Bowl, and the Spicy Rodeo Bolito Bowl.
“What differentiates us is that we keep everything healthy and clean, even in the way develop products,” Saad says. “For example, when we were developing vegan products, searching and analyzing the market, we didn’t like the fact that soy has so much sodium. So we tried shiitake mushroom. Turns out, it tastes phenomenal.”
As the Miami location awaits permits, the opening date is still TBD, but Saad gives an estimate of September for a launch. Then you’ll be able see what all the hype is about!
“Everything we develop is based on what we’re going to eat. That’s kind of our idea. Serve only what you’re going to eat; treat people only the way you want to be treated.”
You can keep up with Boustan news by following @eatboustan on Instagram.
