Shish Wraps scheduled to reopen with new menu

By: Rachel Cain – Staff Writer

Shish Wraps, the Mediterranean grille on Brown Street, is scheduled to reopen this week after a three week hiatus during which the restaurant owners brought in new equipment and revamped their menu.

Brothers Simon and Tony Abboud, University of Dayton graduates of 2010 and 2000, respectively, opened Shish Wraps in 2012 with the intention of sharing their family’s heritage’s Lebanese cuisine with the Dayton area. They closed their doors Jan. 7, 2014, for a temporary closing “in preparation of its grand opening of its 2014 menu,” as stated on the Shish Wraps Facebook page. The new menu will feature the same dishes as before, with the addition of beef and chicken shawarma, gyros, two new salads, more gluten-free options, and more vegetarian options.

Tony Abboud said he and his brother were considering making these changes to their menu for some time. They said the new year was the perfect time to usher in the new changes they envisioned for their restaurant.

“When the new year came around, we decided to just pull the trigger and get it all started,” Tony Abboud said. In addition to the menu changes, Shish Wraps is bringing in three new gyro machines to give the restaurant a “cool atmosphere” that will “get the students excited,” Abboud said.

The changes made to Shish Wraps are all intended to give the customers what Tony Abboud called a more “user-friendly experience.” The menu additions are based on customer recommendations, such as requests for shawarma and gyros.

Sophomore psychology major Alyssa Roeckner says she is looking forward to trying the shawarma.

“I’ve always wanted to try that,” Roeckner said. She said the dish is, “a unique thing that they don’t have a lot of places. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never had the chance to try it.”

Shish Wraps also wants to emphasize their new healthy food options, such as their salads and gluten-free and vegetarian options, Tony Abboud said.

Sophomore mechanical engineering major Becca Creed said she was especially excited about the new vegetarian options.
Creed, a vegetarian, said it is difficult to find good vegetarian dishes when she wants to eat out. Shish Wraps has always been an exception, she said. She described the food as “vegetarian-friendly, and tasty and flavorful.” Creed said she is excited to return to Shish Wraps when it reopens its doors this week.

Roeckner said she enjoys the unique food options Shish Wraps brings to the Dayton community. “Usually, it’s easy just to get burgers and pizza. I love how [Shish Wraps] is Mediterranean, because you don’t get that a lot,” she said.

When Shish Wraps closed, loyal customers commented on the restaurant’s Facebook page about the “Shish withdrawal” they were experiencing. Now, with the reopening of their doors, students will be able to relieve their “Shish withdrawal” and try out the new menu options.