The first tangible sign of the major Arbor South redevelopment is apparent with the recent closure of the Shell gas station at S. State and E. Eisenhower. Its neighboring business, the Mediterranean takeout joint Shawarma Shop, has been invited into a bigger space nearby, the lobby of the 777 Building.
Owner Bilal Choukeir says he’s signed a ten-year deal with Oxford Companies to move into the ten-story office building. Oxford, headquartered there, is instrumental in the planned transformation of the surrounding area into a mixed-use community corridor of about a thousand multifamily housing units, along with commercial space and a hotel at the corner.
Choukeir took over Shawarma Shop shortly after it opened in 2021, surviving the pandemic’s business and staffing challenges with hands-on help from family. The lunch rush has been crucial, and online reviews of their Lebanese street food are strong. With more space, seating, and the prospect of new residents nearby, he’s adding a bakery and expanding the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Curbside pickup will be available from the 777 Building location, which is expected to open in early December, he says.
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Margaret Wyzlic, Oxford’s director of marketing and business development, emails that Shawarma Shop is a “beloved Ann Arbor institution” that is now “positioned as a key piece of our vision for a walkable, vibrant Southside.”
Shawarma Shop, 777 E. Eisenhower. (734) 369–6552. New hours to be announced. shawarmashopmi.com
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