London-based Tahini's rolls out new eatery built on Middle Eastern dessert

Article content

London-based restaurant chain Tahini’s is expanding, going from selling Mediterranean dishes to offering Middle Eastern desserts through a new venture called Dough Bits.

Started this year, Dough Bits is based on a Middle Eastern dessert known as zalabia, which is basically a deep-fried ball of dough.

Though in their most traditional form zalabias are covered in honey, the ones offered at Dough Bits can be mixed with traditional Western dessert toppings, including chocolate or strawberry sauces.

“It’s a Middle Eastern dessert with a twist,” said Omar Hamam, who co-owns the Tahini’s and Dough Bits brands with his brother Aly.

Though they may look like Timbits, Hamam insisted they are nothing like it.

“This is crunchy on the outside, it’s very soft on the inside, and it’s a different taste,” he said, also describing the new venture as a natural next step for their Tahini’s business, which has grown from three outlets in 2019 to 16 across Ontario, including four in London.

“We always felt like we needed a dessert concept that kind of complements Tahini’s, and this fits in perfectly because it’s also a Middle Eastern dessert,” Omar said.

The first Dough Bits stand was launched inside the company’s Tahini’s downtown location in June.

Given the initial success, the company opened a second Dough Bits at its Tahini’s store in Westmount Shopping Centre and the third one in Waterloo.

Work is underway for a fourth Dough Bits location in Mississauga and another in Calgary, the latest frontier for Tahini’s, which has plans to have 25 locations by the end of the year and grow its expansion out west.

Opening Dough Bits within Tahini’s outlets is part of the company’s strategy to make customers more familiar with their new dessert offering, Aly Hamam said.

“It keeps costs down, but it also allows us to take advantage of the traffic we already get for Tahini’s and our customers,” he said.

Though they take centre stage, Dough Bits are not the only items on the menu. The company is also offering products such as milkshakes, iced coffees and virgin mojitos. And just like Tahini’s, Dough Bits is meant to work in the “quick food service” model.

“This is really popular in the Middle East . . . and we think it should have a place in Canada too,” Aly said. “It’s just a matter of people getting to know it.”

jjuha@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/JuhaatLFPress