Iași, the "city of everything": daily over 10,000 shawarmas are consumed

In Iași, the city with the youngest population in Romania, it is estimated that over 10,000 servings of shawarma are consumed daily, according to the publication Ziarul de Iași. Mado Corporation SRL is a leader in the fast-food industry, with a turnover of 55.76 million lei in 2024. Mado's owner, Ibrahim Günbeyi, estimates that his restaurant sells between 1,000 and 1,500 servings per day, which significantly contributes to the total figure in the city. The production manager at the Mado factory confirms that there are at least 50 shawarma shops in Iași, and nighttime consumption adds even more servings to the statistics. According to the 2021 census, Iași has 271,692 inhabitants, making it the third most populous city in Romania, but the actual number of shawarma consumers is likely higher, including students, tourists, and people from surrounding areas.