Six friends started with an idea. Now they’re building a culinary bridge from Amman to Burbank — one grilled shawarma wrap at a time.
Hommies, a Jordanian street food chain with a loyal following overseas, just opened its first U.S. location at 7925 S. Harlem Ave. Behind the launch are six co-owners — Ibrahim Braik, Maen Qadan, Motasen Qadan, Laith Wahbi, Mohammad Nasser and Mohammad Qaruote — who turned a college bond and a shared love of food into a growing restaurant brand with four locations in Jordan and, now, one in the southwest suburbs.
“We wanted something that felt like home,” Ibrahim Braik said. “That’s why it’s called Hommies — not traditional, but still rooted in where we’re from. You walk in and you feel comfortable. You feel welcome.”
The name Hommies is a deliberate twist — a double “M” spin on the word homies, meant to emphasize friendship and stand out as a brand. “It’s for the brand,” Braik said. “We’re all friends. We’re hommies. We spelled it our way.”
Before launching shawarma spots, the six owners were civil engineers — classmates and collaborators with careers built on design, structure, and solving problems.
That training now shows up in the kitchen, where they approach flavor like a science: testing sauces, adjusting spice levels, and putting every menu item through rounds of tasting. “We don’t just throw something on the menu,” Braik said. “We test it, tweak it.
Out of six, at least four of us have to sign off before anything goes out.”
Braik holds a master’s degree in engineering. Others work across industries in the U.S. and Jordan, some still juggling day jobs as the Burbank location grows. Their shared approach? Build it smart. Taste everything. Improve constantly.
Unlike most fast-casual spots, Hommies is strict about freshness. The team uses skinless chicken breast and lean steak, grilled to order. There’s no vertical spit or long rotations under heat lamps — and definitely no added oil or fat in the meat prep.
“We’re not trying to be traditional,” Braik said. “We’re trying to be better. Cleaner. Healthier.”
Even the sauces — a highlight of the menu — are made entirely in-house. There are four signature options: Hom sauce, a sweet-and-sour blend named in homage to the restaurant’s name; dynamite sauce, a spicy kick that hits especially well on steak; garlic sauce, thick, creamy and made fresh daily; and tahini, smooth, sesame-forward and cold-served.
“Each sauce has its own profile,” Braik said. “And yeah — they’re secret recipes.”
Their crunchy toasted shawarma — a sliced bread twist on the classic wrap — has become a local favorite, especially served tray-style with dips in the center. The Zinga, a crispy fried chicken wrap, draws fans looking for something more indulgent.
The Burbank location opened in November 2024, but it’s already drawing buzz in the community.
With sleek branding, word-of-mouth momentum, and a concept that blends Middle Eastern flavor with fast-casual polish, Hommies isn’t planning to stop at one store. The owners didn’t confirm specific plans — but confirmed they’re working on it.
“This is just the beginning,” Braik said. “We’re engineers. We build things.”