The co-owners of Arabesque, Mohamad Yanes, Mamoun Yanes and Bassam Chaban, were born and raised in Syria with Palestinian descent.[2][4] An engineer by trade, Yanes immigrated to Canada in 2009.[2] The owners had little experience with restauranteering before opening Arabesque, and so "learned by doing".[2]
The location of Arabesque was previously a fast food restaurant.[3] In 2011, the restaurant opened a second location, Arabesque Express, for takeout only in Waterloo at 465 Phillip St;[6] it later closed. In 2018, part of Victoria St. N was closed for construction, causing a significant decrease in Arabesque's business as customers needed to take a 15-minute detour.
Due to the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, the restaurant temporarily switched to being takeout and delivery only.[7] As well the restaurant experienced a drop in business and laid off about fifty staff members.[7] As part of the 2021 Canadian federal elections, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a rally outside the restaurant.[8]
Dwight Storring of the Waterloo Region Record reviewed the restaurant in 2013, praising the food and atmosphere.[3] Storring concluded by saying Arabesque "is restaurant that should be on everyone's list. The food is delicious, abundant and it caters to a wide range of palettes".[3] In the Record's best of 2018 summary, Sandra Walneck recommended Arabesque's baba ghanoush appetizer "which makes any store-bought version pale by comparison".[9] Writing for CBC News, Andrew Coppolino has recommended the restaurant a number of times, including on his 2017 local shawarma list,[10] his 2021 halal recommendations,[4] and a 2022 article about the Region's food.[11] According to a 2018 Record article, the restaurant has a "loyal following".[2]
^Williams, Robert (September 15, 2021). "NDP leader rallies in battleground riding: Kitchener Centre NDP candidate says she 'knows we can win this' after Jagmeet Singh visits riding". Waterloo Region Record. A1.
^Bielak, Alex; Walneck, Sandra; Mangalaseril, Jasmine (December 28, 2018). "Dining out: The best of 2018". The Record. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
