The Philippines’ largest shawarma chain, Shawarma Shack, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a powerful move onto the international stage, opening its first overseas outlet in Singapore. This strategic expansion marks a significant milestone for the brand, which has grown to over 850 outlets across the Philippines and serves a remarkable 120,000 meals daily.

Founder, President, and CEO Walther Buenavista selected Singapore as the inaugural international outpost after exploring options in the United States. He cited Singapore’s “ease of business set-up” and its efficient regulatory environment as key factors that enabled a faster expansion.

The brand’s first Singapore outlet opened in Toa Payoh’s HDB Hub on July 30, with a second location in Poiz Centre, Potong Pasir, already planned for October. This rapid deployment underscores the brand's aggressive growth strategy.

Buenavista's entrepreneurial journey began in a Manila night market in 2015 with a simple yet powerful idea: to provide Filipinos with warm, hearty, and delicious easy-to-eat food at a great value. The concept quickly resonated, leading to an explosive growth phase.

“My wife, Patricia, and I wanted to provide warm and enjoyable quick meals at great value to my fellow Filipinos... We did not expect our humble food idea to take off the way it did,” Buenavista shared. “The crazy thing is, over the last five years, we opened an outlet every two days!”

With a workforce of more than 1,000 staff, Shawarma Shack has solidified its position as a dominant player in its home country. The brand is now banking on its proven formula to replicate this success globally, with a target of opening five self-owned outlets in Singapore within the next 12 months. Buenavista is positioning Singapore not just as a new market, but as a “springboard to the rest of the world,” with ambitions to establish a second headquarters in the city-state.