In Kigali, Ugarit Restaurant has built a reputation for authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, serving everything from richly seasoned shawarma to freshly prepared kebabs and traditional appetizers.
Behind the restaurant is Tarq Al Kamoua, a Syrian Business Administration graduate whose journey from Syria to Rwanda was driven by both opportunity and observation.
“When I came to Rwanda, I noticed there were not many Syrian or Turkish restaurants,” he explains. “I tried different restaurants, but I could not really find the kind of Syrian and Turkish food I was looking for.”
What he saw was not just a gap in the market, but an opportunity to introduce a different dining experience to Kigali’s growing and increasingly diverse food scene.
Rwanda itself also played a major role in that decision. For Tarq, the country stood out for both its potential, and its business-friendly environment for entrepreneurs.
“Rwanda is a beautiful and safe country,” he says. “It is also easy to start a business because many processes, including licensing, are online.”
Building an Authentic Middle Eastern Dining Experience
From the beginning, Ugarit Restaurant focused on authenticity. The restaurant’s menu centers around traditional Middle Eastern flavors, particularly dishes rooted in Syrian and Turkish cuisine. Shawarma quickly became one of the restaurant’s signature offerings, alongside kebabs and a variety of appetizers that continue to draw a loyal customer base.
“Our special food is shawarma, kebabs, and many other appetizers,” says Tarq.
Today, the restaurant attracts a wide mix of customers including locals, expatriates, and tourists drawn to bold Middle Eastern flavors and freshly prepared meals.
“Anyone who enjoys rich Middle Eastern flavors is welcome,” he adds.
The Challenge: Sourcing the Right Ingredients
While launching the restaurant in Rwanda presented exciting opportunities, maintaining authenticity came with operational challenges.
One of the biggest hurdles was sourcing the specific ingredients needed to prepare traditional Syrian and Turkish dishes.
“Getting specific ingredients in Rwanda was hard,” Tarq explains.
Over time, the restaurant established reliable sourcing channels, including Sudanese shops that supply key ingredients for their recipes.
Why Ugarit Chose Pesapal
As the restaurant continued serving a growing customer base, reliable payment and operations structures also became an important part of the business experience.
Ugarit Restaurant adopted the Pesapal POS system to support day-to-day transactions and streamline payments.
For Tarq, the decision came down to responsiveness, reliability, and operational support.
“I chose Pesapal because there was a good team in Rwanda,” he says. “They offer good customer service and they respond very fast.”
Beyond support, operational efficiency also mattered.
“Transferring money from my Pesapal dashboard to my bank does not take a lot of time,” he explains.
For a busy restaurant environment where speed and consistency matter , dependable payment operations help ensure the business can stay focused on what matters most: serving customers.
Bringing Syrian Hospitality to Kigali
Ugarit Restaurant’s story reflects more than just the launch of a restaurant. It is a story of cultural exchange, entrepreneurship, and adapting tradition to a new market.
From identifying an untapped opportunity in Kigali to overcoming sourcing challenges and building a growing customer base, Tarq has steadily created a space where Middle Eastern hospitality and Rwandan business opportunity meet.
Today, Ugarit Restaurant continues to introduce diners in Kigali to authentic Syrian and Turkish flavors, one shawarma, kebab, and shared meal at a time.
