OXFORD, Mich. – On Thursday, July 11, 2024, a delicious new restaurant, Shawarma House, was incorporated into the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shawarma House opened its doors last year after Alex Baiz, one of the owners, and his family bought the restaurant and decided the Orion-Oxford area needed a little taste of the Mediterranean.
Restaurant exterior
Baiz’s and his family, who are from Dearborn, Mich., have owned multiple different restaurants in the past but this is their first venture into the Orion-Oxford area.
ONTV’s Lexi McKinney spoke to Baiz about his experience trying to open a restaurant and his time working with the chamber.
“We we’re trying to bring an authentic palette to the area,” Baiz said.
“We [have] a lot of different restaurants, this is the first time the community is actually very, very supportive,” Baiz said.
The Orion Area Chamber have been a vital part in this community, due to their continued support of local business – both small and large. Another aspect of the community that Baiz likes is the fact it is not only community-focused, but it is family-focused as well.
“This is a family area, that is what we’ve noticed. There’s a lot of families that come in,” Baiz said.
Guests, friends, family, and members of the chamber as well as board of trustees visited the restaurant during a brief open house where Shawarma House served platters of chicken, beef and lamb shawarma, as well as vegetables, salads and dips like hummus and garlic.
Photo by ONTV
Tasty would be an understatement, ONTV staff in particular were happy that a quality Mediterranean restaurant was a part of the community.
For more information about the Orion Area Chamber and their upcoming events, visit orionareachamber.com.
You can find Shawarma House at 1386 S Lapeer Rd, Oxford, Mich. To see Shawarma Houses’ menu in full and for more information about the restaurant, visit shawarmahousemi.com.