Hot off the press
Healthy Mediterranean concept debuts mini-restaurant at San Antonio Walmart
Walmart is adding a new in-house dining option at certain stores that’s serving Mediterranean food, including shawarma wraps and rice bowls — and the first eatery is now open in San Antonio.
Called Shawarma Press, it’s a restaurant concept that has partnered with Walmart to open mini-restaurants inside select Walmart stores, and it debuted at the Walmart on the Far West Side, at 11210 Potranco Rd.
Shawarma Press started out as a restaurant that founder and CEO Sawsan Abublan opened in Irving, near Dallas, in 2017. Now with the Walmart deal, the company is expanding at stores across Texas, including in Arlington, Plano, and Georgetown.
Shawarma Press describes its food as “a fresh twist on Mediterranean cuisine,” and claims to be the first food establishment to introduce shawarma in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
“We’re thrilled that Walmart’s curated food service will allow us to introduce more people to our authentic, healthy, Mediterranean cuisine,” Abublan says in a statement. “Texans are known for their diverse palates, so we look forward to offering our fresh menu items to San Antonians and Walmart shoppers seeking delicious Mediterranean comfort food.”
Shawarma Press’ menu includes shawarma wraps, platters, and rice bowls with chicken, beef, and vegetarian and vegan options like hummus and falafel, plus appetizers, salads, and pastries.
But the signature dish is the shawarma: thin slices of chicken or beef stacked in cone-like shapes that are slowly roasted in juices on a rotisserie. The restaurant offers traditional wraps as well as novel fusion offerings like the spicy Tandoori Press and Tex-Mex Press shawarmas.
“Our guests are delighted and sometimes surprised that our dishes are made from scratch, including our famous hummus, falafel, and sauces that are available for takeout or dine-in at Walmart,” Abublan says. “We also use only high-quality ingredients, including chicken and premium beef raised with no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics, and humanely handled according to halal guidelines.”
Walmart seems to be upping its game on restaurant options. In October 2021, the retail giant added Surfin’ Chicken, a new-to-the-U.S. concept from Croatia that serves fried chicken and French fries.
