“You finish at the club and then you go to Tut’s,” says founder Amr Elmazariky with a smile, describing how his Egyptian street food concept has become a late-night institution on King Street West. Now, that same fresh-baked Fino bread and authentic Egyptian flavors are set to reach customers across Ontario as the brand plans to double its footprint for the second consecutive year.
What began as an engineer’s career pivot in 2020 has evolved into a rapidly expanding quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, now boasting seven thriving locations across the province. From Waterloo to Ottawa’s Barrhaven neighbourhood, customers are welcomed by the irresistible aroma of freshly baked Egyptian bread and sizzling beef sausage. Behind this rapid growth is a precisely calibrated operational system that marries Elmazariky’s engineering background with his passion for authentic Egyptian cuisine.
“We’re seeking to open one store in every city from Windsor to Ottawa,” said Elmazariky, who confirmed the company’s next location will open in downtown Ottawa this summer. “We doubled our store count last year, and we want to double it again this year.”
From Engineering to Egyptian Street Food
Elmazariky’s journey to restaurant ownership represents an unexpected career pivot. After completing his master’s degree at the University of Waterloo, he spent over a decade in engineering roles across corporate and government sectors before a conversation with his now-wife sparked a change.
“I was telling her how I don’t want to continue in engineering. I’m good at it, I have a really good job and everything, but I’m not really happy,” Elmazariky recounted. “And then she told me, ‘Listen, just quit and do whatever you want.'”
That conversation in late 2019 set in motion plans to open a restaurant by April 2020 – timing that coincided with the onset of the pandemic. After his March wedding became one of the city’s first “e-weddings” due to lockdown restrictions, construction on the restaurant halted.
“Construction stopped. There were no permits. There was no equipment. Everything just came to a halt,” Elmazariky recalled. “But deep down, I knew that we had something special here.”
When Tut’s finally opened its King and Portland location in August 2020, the pandemic’s dining restrictions unexpectedly boosted the brand’s visibility.
“When there was a shutdown, that’s when our sales boomed,” he explained. “Everyone was ordering burgers and pizza and tacos while stuck at home. But people got bored – How many times can you eat a burger? And then all of a sudden there’s these Egyptian street food sandwiches.”
Central to Tut’s rapid growth is a production facility in Mississauga that serves as the operation’s backbone. This central kitchen, which Elmazariky describes as “the cornerstone for our growth,” handles food preparation to maintain quality and consistency across all locations..
“Everything is prepared in-house, from marinating the chicken to making our beef sausage, falafel, and signature sauces. We do it all in big batches, vacuum-seal them, and package them to be cooked fresh in-store..”
This system enables consistency across locations while simplifying operations at individual restaurants. Even the brand’s signature Fino bread follows this model – the central kitchen prepares and freezes the dough before it proofs, then ships it to restaurants where it’s thawed, proofed and baked fresh daily.
“Before, when we were one location, we had bakers working around the clock, from 7 a.m. until 12 a.m., continuously baking,” Elmazariky explained. ” That alone saved us a ton of time and money, while still delivering an impressive experience—you walk in, and the smell of freshly baked bread hits you.
@tuts.to Now this looks good 👀😋 #TutEats #TorontoEats #fyp ♬ original sound – Tut’s Egyptian Street Food
Strategic Expansion Across Ontario
Following its initial success, Tut’s methodically expanded to Mississauga, Oakville, Waterloo and Ottawa. They also secured a coveted spot in Union Station’s food court.
The Union Station location came after Tut’s participated in Union Summer, a seasonal outdoor market in 2022. “Everyone loved the food. I think even the CEO of Osmington was in love with the beef sausage sandwich,” Elmazariky said, referring to the company that manages Union Station’s retail operations.
After completing an eight-week run at Union Summer, Elmazariky maintained contact with the management team. “I told them, ‘Listen guys, obviously there is room for Tut’s here. Whenever there’s an opportunity for us to become part of Union Station, we would love it.’ We maintained that relationship over the next year and a half, and when an opportunity arose, they reached out.”
The Union Station location has proven valuable for brand visibility, exposing Tut’s to thousands of daily commuters and event attendees. “Whether you’re commuting, working around and coming down for lunch, or going to a game – I stood right next to the exit and just watched people leave a Maple Leafs game and walk through Tut’s,” Elmazariky said. “All I heard was, ‘Egyptian street food, what is that?’ and ‘Tut’s, what is this?’ Even though they didn’t know what Tut’s was, that curiosity of what that space is – some of them came in for sure, but at least it’s in their head now.”
The restaurant recently extended its Union Station hours to 11 p.m. on game days to capture the post-event traffic.
Blending Culture and Cuisine
Beyond serving food, Tut’s has made cultural education a cornerstone of its brand identity. The restaurants feature murals connecting customers to Egyptian history, and staff encourage customers to use Arabic names for menu items.
“A lot of people don’t know anything about Egypt besides the Pharaoh’s part,” Elmazariky explained. “The way we say chicken is ‘ferakh.’ So we want people to say ‘ferakh’ instead of chicken sandwich.”
This approach has created meaningful connections with customers. “When I get someone with no Arabic background who comes in and says, ‘Give me one arnabeet,’ which is cauliflower, it puts a smile on our face,” he said. “Someone loves that sandwich to the fact that they know the Arabic name of it. It’s quite special.”
Each location features unique murals that connect to Egyptian history while respecting the surrounding neighborhood.
Tut’s take on Franchising
The brand’s selective approach to growth includes careful vetting of potential partners. “I’m very conservative in terms of selecting the franchisees that we want to partner up with,” Elmazariky noted.
As Tut’s continues its expansion, Elmazariky remains committed to the vision that inspired him to leave engineering for restaurant entrepreneurship. “I really care about who will partner up with us,” he said. “How fast we do this, I’m not in a rush.”
The brand reported impressive volume in 2024, with sandwich production that, if stacked, would reach “65 times the height of the CN Tower” according to a social media post by Elmazariky earlier this year.
For a concept that launched during one of the most challenging periods for the restaurant industry, Tut’s growth trajectory demonstrates the potential for distinctive culinary concepts that combine authentic flavors with operational efficiency.
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.