Lazeez Shawarma makes Pay It Forward permanent with $100,000 donation

Lazeez Shawarma is making its Pay It Forward meal program permanent across 70+ Ontario restaurants and backing it with a $100,000 donation. The move is meant to keep paid-it-forward meals available year-round for people who need them, even when customer generosity slows.

Why it matters: - Lazeez Shawarma is turning a seasonal kindness program into a year-round offering across its Ontario footprint. - The company is adding $100,000 of its own money to keep donated meals available in store windows when guest contributions are lighter. - The program gives people a no-questions-asked way to get a hot meal.

What happened: - Lazeez Shawarma confirmed it is making its Pay It Forward program permanent across more than 70 restaurants in Ontario. - The company is donating $100,000 to support the program. - The announcement comes from Mississauga, Ontario, where Lazeez Shawarma is headquartered. - Guests can also send e-transfers to kindness@lazeezshawarma.com to add more meals to the program.

The details: - Pay It Forward works when a guest buys an extra meal at the counter. - The meal is written on a card and placed in the restaurant window. - Anyone who needs food can take a card from the window and redeem it at the counter. - The program covers Kindness On The Rocks meals, including chicken or falafel. - Lazeez Shawarma said the cards are meant to stay anonymous and carry no questions for the person redeeming them. - Kehkashan Khan, director of corporate relations at Lazeez Shawarma, said people often write personal messages on the cards, including dedications to loved ones or notes from children. - The company said the decision to make the program permanent was not a debate. - Lazeez Shawarma said hunger does not stop in summer, so the company stopped treating the effort like a campaign and started treating it like a promise. - The restaurant group operates in the Greater Toronto Area and Southwestern Ontario. - Guests are invited to share their own cards using #KindnessOnTheRocks. - Lazeez Shawarma serves shawarma, platters, wraps, and salads across its Ontario locations.

Between the lines: - The donation gives the program a baseline of support even when local giving slows down. - The anonymous card system keeps the exchange simple for both donors and recipients, which may help the program feel accessible and dignified. - The emphasis on permanence suggests Lazeez Shawarma sees the initiative as part of its brand, not a limited promotion.

What's next: - The company plans to keep the program running year-round across all Ontario locations. - Customers can continue adding meals through in-store purchases or e-transfer donations. - Guest-shared cards under #KindnessOnTheRocks could extend the program’s visibility online and in stores.

The bottom line: - Lazeez Shawarma is using company funding to make a pay-it-forward meal program steady, not seasonal, across its Ontario restaurants.