Hussein, 62, is the owner of Rose City Grill, a halal Mediterranean grill based in Ontario, Canada. On February 18, Hussein was shocked when TikToker Zachery Dereniowski (@mdmotivator) walked in with a puzzling request: an order for 1,000 shawarmas.
“I wish we could have this business,” Hussein said, thinking that Dereniowski was cracking a joke.
“Why?” Derniowski asked. “Is this business not good right now?”
“We’re doing okay, but we’re still not breaking even,” the owner admitted.
The two continued with their transaction, and as Hussein realized that the TikToker was serious about ordering 1,000 halal shawarmas, he decided to break a deal with him.
“I can help you out with it,” he said, offering to downgrade the cost to $6 per shawarma in lieu of the typical menu price of $9.99. “We can do up to 300 in a day.”
“I want to give them to underprivileged families tonight at sunset for Ramadan,” Dereniowski said.
That hit home for Hussein.
“My family is 10 people,” he responded. “I have 8 kids. I am always struggling to make a living. Thank God, I still try, and I still do.”
After introducing himself and shaking his hand, Dereniowski asked for the grand total.
“It’s going to be around $2,000 [for the 300] but I’ll give it free,” Hussein said. “You have to think about the people who are hungry, who don’t have the money to buy food.”
“Can I leave you a tip?” The TikToker asked, as the restaurant owner tried to politely decline. “I’ve got something for you, since you’re helping me.”
Then he took $1,000 out of his wallet. But that was just the beginning.
After cooking and donating 300 shawarmas — and planning to make the full 1,000 — Hussein handed them off so that Dereniowski could fulfill his good deed as planned and disburse the hot food to local families in need.
The next day, the TikTok content creator returned to Rose City Grill, first to pay the full cost of the $2,000 worth of shawarmas, and then to tip Hussein with an additional $50,000 — a donation that was crowdfunded by his followers.
“You said you’re trying to break even with the restaurant,” Dereniowski said, when the small business owner stared at him in shock.
“I’ve spent all my life giving help,” Hussein said, head in hand. “First time I got the help. I swear to God, I owe you all my life.”
This is not the first time Dereniowski has used his platform for good.
Over the years, he’s made headlines by donating $100,000 to Mario, an immigrant living in Los Angeles who had recently lost his job, and supporting struggling musician David Kamara.
Beneath Dereniowski’s latest viral video, his comment section was flooded with people who wanted to go above and beyond to help Hussein.
One follower wrote: “As someone who lives in Windsor, I know where I’ll be going for my next shawarma!”
“So heartwarming; now I have a shawarma place to try,” another local commented.
A top comment read: “We made the right person famous.”
See the full video below:
Header images via Zachery Dereniowski / TikTok
