Latest news with #Nahas
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Brad Marchand's Game 1 goal for Florida Panthers wins donairs for 1,500 fans in Halifax
Halifax's 'little ball of hate' delivered free donairs to about 1,500 people Wednesday night. Brad Marchand's goal for the Florida Panthers in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals had the folks at King of Donair rolling up their sleeves after the maker of the Halifamous late-night snack took to social media promising free donairs if people commented on their Facebook and Instagram posts about the celebrated playmaker and hometown hero before the puck dropped. 'We know Brad likes donairs and, obviously, we're rooting for Canadian teams, too, but we want to see the cup back in Halifax,' said Nicholas Nahas, one of three brothers who co-own the fast-food business that has four outlets in Halifax. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We're hockey fans and he's a Halifax homegrown boy.' Marchand played for the Boston Bruins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011. The left winger was traded to Florida this past March. While Marchand scored on a power play at the 12:30 mark of Wednesday night's game, the Edmonton Oilers won Game 1 against Florida 4-3 in overtime. 'Tough night last night,' Nahas said Thursday morning of Florida's loss as he was adding up the number of people who cashed in on the offer of a free donair, which normally retails for $9.89. The business made the offer 'on a whim,' he said. 'We knew what we were getting ourselves into.' He plans to send coupon codes to everyone who commented on the outfit's Marchand posts. 'All of our stores have the master list at the store level and when someone comes in with their code, they cross it off.' The business has made donairs for Marchand before when he hosts private events. 'Brad does have a free donairs for life card,' Nahas said. 'He has redeemed that card a couple of times, but it's almost as if he's redeeming it on behalf of all his fans in Halifax who were commenting.' Not everyone who saw the company's social media posts about Marchand was after a free donair, which for the uninitiated, is a pita filled with spicy ground Canadian beef, tomatoes, onions and slathered in a sweet sauce. 'There was a lot of hate in the comments, too,' Nahas said. 'People were saying, 'I'm only going for Canada,' and 'I don't like him, he's a rat.' Not everyone, I guess, played by the rules and is expecting a donair.' The business expected some blowback, Nahas said. 'We expect that. A lot of people have their blinders on. It's black and white; it's Canada or U.S. And these are people who probably aren't from here or don't know the Brad connection of Halifax.' The brothers who own the business are 'tossing around' ideas for offers before the two teams meet again Friday night. 'It will be game time decision,' Nahas said. While he's 'not a betting man' Nahas said he's also cheering for Edmonton in the finals, but maybe not as loudly. 'It's Brad and Florida over Edmonton for sure,' Nahas said. Besides his scoring skill, Marchand is known for weird antics and relentless chirping aimed at getting inside the heads of opposing players, including licking them. Six years back, ESPN dubbed him 'the NHL's ultimate troll.' Even former U.S. president Barack Obama called Marchand the 'little ball of hate' when the Bruins visited the White House after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. So, what could the prize for fans be in future online contests if the most suspended player in NHL history licks one of the Panthers during this series? 'That would have to be donairs for life, or something,' Nahas said with a chuckle. 'Or at least a year.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Brad Marchand's Game 1 goal for Florida Panthers wins donairs for 1,500 fans in Halifax
Article content 'People were saying, 'I'm only going for Canada,' and 'I don't like him, he's a rat.' Not everyone, I guess, played by the rules and is expecting a donair.' The business expected some blowback, Nahas said. 'We expect that. A lot of people have their blinders on. It's black and white; it's Canada or U.S. And these are people who probably aren't from here or don't know the Brad connection of Halifax.' The brothers who own the business are 'tossing around' ideas for offers before the two teams meet again Friday night. 'It will be game time decision,' Nahas said. While he's 'not a betting man' Nahas said he's also cheering for Edmonton in the finals, but maybe not as loudly. 'It's Brad and Florida over Edmonton for sure,' Nahas said. Besides his scoring skill, Marchand is known for weird antics and relentless chirping aimed at getting inside the heads of opposing players, including licking them. Six years back, ESPN dubbed him 'the NHL's ultimate troll.' Even former U.S. president Barack Obama called Marchand the 'little ball of hate' when the Bruins visited the White House after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. So, what could the prize for fans be in future online contests if the most suspended player in NHL history licks one of the Panthers during this series? 'That would have to be donairs for life, or something,' Nahas said with a chuckle. 'Or at least a year.'
Hamilton Spectator
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
N.S.‘s Lebanese entrepreneurs build a national presence, as Shawarma leads the way
HALIFAX - At a Mezza Lebanese Kitchen restaurant, Tony Nahas demonstrates slicing from a spit of roasting chicken much as his father did — with a razor-sharp knife dropping the aromatic meat from grill to gathering tray. But then he switches to what he calls the 'newer generation's' tool: a humming, electric carver that can create Shawarma servings more efficiently for hungry lunchtime customers. It's the essentially the same style of Middle Eastern meat, marinated in a secret sauce created in the family restaurant 35 years ago, but produced for more customers. Like the ambitions of the younger generation of Lebanese Nova Scotian entrepreneurs, the business plans of the restaurant are expanding into faster and larger horizons. 'For our parents it was just putting food on the (restaurant) table. That's what mattered. For us, it's how do we increase the scale of that,' said Peter Nahas, Tony's younger brother and business partner. Across the city, at a federally certified, large-scale production facility, custom-designed machinery produces hummus, garlic sauce and pickled turnips for 24 locations, including recently opened outlets in Calgary and in the St. John's, N.L., area. The franchise is soon expanding in Ontario, and international outlets are next on the horizon. Some business leaders see the chain as an example of the widening goals of Nova Scotia's Lebanese diaspora, and its plans for expansion. 'We celebrate together ... we mourn together, we do business together,' said Norman Nahas, a major player in the city's real estate scene, adding the community gathers for festivals, baptisms and burials at two large Halifax churches. 'My father came in 1967; others came in the 1970s ... And now you're seeing second and third generations continuing in the family business. It's gone from operating a corner store, to buying an adjacent building, to learning to build and grow an industry,' said the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce in Nova Scotia leader — who recently partnered in opening a new Moxy Hotel in Halifax. Nahas, a first cousin to the restaurateurs, estimates the chamber now has close to 1,300 members, in a community of about 12,000 people in the capital city. He says the Mezza enterprise is being watched by the city's Lebanese network, as an example of one of their own taking a franchise across the country. 'They're opening the eyes of Canadians to what Lebanese food is on a quick service food level, which there aren't many other brands matching,' said Norman Nahas. The Nahas brothers recall rushing from school to the original family restaurant at lunch hours, where they were assigned tasks as they became teenagers. Their parents workday usually went from 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., until their 2012 retirement. Their story resonates with Joe Metlege, another second-generation Lebanese Nova Scotian entrepreneur — whose Templeton Properties has grown into one of the city's major developers. Children were brought up to labour in the family enterprise, said Metlege, recalling days of cleaning apartments for his father's company. 'They (the first generation) didn't come here with a social safety net and expectations of government handouts. They came to survive and take care of their families,' he said. The Nahas siblings say their business concept hinges on ideas inherited from the prior generation, blended with their knowledge of the fast-paced demands of Canadian life. Tony recalls his father teaching him to display delicious dishes so that customers 'eat with their eyes.' He insists on franchises chopping their own vegetables, while the Arabic music playing in the background is 'non negotiable.' On the other hand, the family processing plant now debones the chicken destined for Shawarma dishes, and it's not uncommon to have three, 30 to 60 kg roasts underway at one location. At the chain's downtown location, open into the small hours of the morning, as many as six spits disappear into Halifax stomachs over 24 hours. Peter Nahas says Lebanese business networks mostly assist in the form of advice, support and mentoring — rather than direct investment from venture capitalists. They rely on banking and conventional investment channels to fund their growth, he said. 'But you see a lot of Lebanese Nova Scotian partnerships, and a lot of people working together just as pure business operations,' he said. It also doesn't hurt to have hungry Lebanese newcomers and their descendants across Canada, willing to support a fast-food version of their cuisine. In Windsor, N.S., Natasha Feghali, a chair of the Windsor-Essex Lebanese Community Council, said in a recent interview she's eagerly awaiting one of the outlets opening in the Ontario community this summer. 'I think for everyone it will be a pleasure to welcome a new restaurant in our area. We'll see not only Lebanese but other Windsor residents going to enjoy the cuisine,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025. — With files from Jaqueline Newsome in Halifax.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
N.S.'s Lebanese entrepreneurs build a national presence, as Shawarma leads the way
HALIFAX — At a Mezza Lebanese Kitchen restaurant, Tony Nahas demonstrates slicing from a spit of roasting chicken much as his father did — with a razor-sharp knife dropping the aromatic meat from grill to gathering tray. But then he switches to what he calls the "newer generation's" tool: a humming, electric carver that can create Shawarma servings more efficiently for hungry lunchtime customers. It's the essentially the same style of Middle Eastern meat, marinated in a secret sauce created in the family restaurant 35 years ago, but produced for more customers. Like the ambitions of the younger generation of Lebanese Nova Scotian entrepreneurs, the business plans of the restaurant are expanding into faster and larger horizons. "For our parents it was just putting food on the (restaurant) table. That's what mattered. For us, it's how do we increase the scale of that," said Peter Nahas, Tony's younger brother and business partner. Across the city, at a federally certified, large-scale production facility, custom-designed machinery produces hummus, garlic sauce and pickled turnips for 24 locations, including recently opened outlets in Calgary and in the St. John's, N.L., area. The franchise is soon expanding in Ontario, and international outlets are next on the horizon. Some business leaders see the chain as an example of the widening goals of Nova Scotia's Lebanese diaspora, and its plans for expansion. "We celebrate together ... we mourn together, we do business together," said Norman Nahas, a major player in the city's real estate scene, adding the community gathers for festivals, baptisms and burials at two large Halifax churches. "My father came in 1967; others came in the 1970s ... And now you're seeing second and third generations continuing in the family business. It's gone from operating a corner store, to buying an adjacent building, to learning to build and grow an industry," said the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce in Nova Scotia leader — who recently partnered in opening a new Moxy Hotel in Halifax. Nahas, a first cousin to the restaurateurs, estimates the chamber now has close to 1,300 members, in a community of about 12,000 people in the capital city. He says the Mezza enterprise is being watched by the city's Lebanese network, as an example of one of their own taking a franchise across the country. "They're opening the eyes of Canadians to what Lebanese food is on a quick service food level, which there aren't many other brands matching," said Norman Nahas. The Nahas brothers recall rushing from school to the original family restaurant at lunch hours, where they were assigned tasks as they became teenagers. Their parents workday usually went from 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., until their 2012 retirement. Their story resonates with Joe Metlege, another second-generation Lebanese Nova Scotian entrepreneur — whose Templeton Properties has grown into one of the city's major developers. Children were brought up to labour in the family enterprise, said Metlege, recalling days of cleaning apartments for his father's company. "They (the first generation) didn't come here with a social safety net and expectations of government handouts. They came to survive and take care of their families," he said. The Nahas siblings say their business concept hinges on ideas inherited from the prior generation, blended with their knowledge of the fast-paced demands of Canadian life. Tony recalls his father teaching him to display delicious dishes so that customers "eat with their eyes." He insists on franchises chopping their own vegetables, while the Arabic music playing in the background is "non negotiable." On the other hand, the family processing plant now debones the chicken destined for Shawarma dishes, and it's not uncommon to have three, 30 to 60 kg roasts underway at one location. At the chain's downtown location, open into the small hours of the morning, as many as six spits disappear into Halifax stomachs over 24 hours. Peter Nahas says Lebanese business networks mostly assist in the form of advice, support and mentoring — rather than direct investment from venture capitalists. They rely on banking and conventional investment channels to fund their growth, he said. "But you see a lot of Lebanese Nova Scotian partnerships, and a lot of people working together just as pure business operations," he said. It also doesn't hurt to have hungry Lebanese newcomers and their descendants across Canada, willing to support a fast-food version of their cuisine. In Windsor, N.S., Natasha Feghali, a chair of the Windsor-Essex Lebanese Community Council, said in a recent interview she's eagerly awaiting one of the outlets opening in the Ontario community this summer. "I think for everyone it will be a pleasure to welcome a new restaurant in our area. We'll see not only Lebanese but other Windsor residents going to enjoy the cuisine," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025. — With files from Jaqueline Newsome in Halifax. Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Avalanche's John Nahas on web3 gaming: ‘Blockchain on the backend'
As blockchain matures beyond peer-to-peer payments, gaming is fast becoming one of its most compelling frontiers — and Avalanche is betting big on that transformation. Speaking with TheStreet Roundtable's Malak Albaw, John Nahas, Chief Business Officer at Ava Labs (the team driving Avalanche's growth), explained how their ecosystem is changing the game for everyday users of decentralized apps. 'The problem that we have in this space... is that the user experience and the user interfaces are very difficult,' Nahas said. 'That's because you have to, again, contort your application to fit the existing blockchain infrastructure that exists.' But Avalanche is flipping that script. 'With Avalanche, you can have a blockchain on the backend,' he explained. 'A perfect example is Gunzilla Games. They have Off the Grid, it's a new AAA game that's on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. They have 15 million users. Every user that has an account... has a Web3 wallet on the backend.' In this model, every in-game item — whether earned or purchased — is not just data but a digital asset owned by the player. 'All of their in-game assets... are owned by them and are able to be freely traded,' Nahas said. 'This is using blockchain for efficiencies, to unlock new use cases.' Beyond gaming, Avalanche's strategy is sweeping. 'We like to look at it comprehensively,' Nahas said. 'We can tackle payments... institutional adoption, tokenize real-world assets... enterprise use cases such as loyalty and rewards.' And for gamers used to closed ecosystems, the Web3 model offers something radical: control. 'You don't really own your assets,' Nahas said of Web2 games. 'In a situation like Off the Grid, you are able to own your own assets. You can sell them, you can trade them... It gives ownership back to the player.' Avalanche Labs is the development arm behind the Avalanche blockchain, a high-performance, scalable Layer-1 platform designed for decentralized applications and custom blockchain networks. Founded by Emin Gün Sirer and launched in 2020, Avalanche supports fast transaction finality and low fees through its unique consensus protocol. It enables developers to create interoperable subnets tailored for everything from gaming and DeFi to institutional-grade finance. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
