Ali Baba Canberra Centre

The humble journey of Ali Baba Kebabs began in 1979 when our first store in Woden shopping Centre Canberra, came to life. The young brothers – Mick and Karl Marjan were the talk of the town when they introduced the authentic flavours of the middle east to the Aussie way of life in the heart of Canberra. Locals lined up waiting for a table when the store launched to get a taste of the delicious “Shawarma”. The store was so busy that the community would share tables with random people while enjoying their meal. Our family-owned business is named after Baba (which means father) and Ali (son of Mick who was born at the time of the opening) who still works in the business alongside even more family members helping bring our passion to our customers across the country. The logo symbol of the genie was inspired by the Arabian folklore tale of ‘Ali Baba and the 40 thieves’. Basically, a character regarded as middle eastern Robin Hood. This symbol quickly became a recognised symbol of the freshly rolled kebabs sealed in that memorable red bag. 40 years later that inspiration can still be seen in our brand and our well-known product can be found across the country in over 28 stores. The authentic middle eastern flavours are now our identity in the community. Founders Mick & Karl are extremely passionate about every single detail of the Ali Baba product. When it comes to quality there is simply no compromise. Enriched with nutrients, bursting with protein and rich in dietary fibre, our food delivers a great taste & using only the freshest of ingredients. You will now find our family has grown from children to grandchildren and even franchisees to staff, yet every day you will see our family working hard for one very simple result – to have our customers say “That is the best kebab I have ever eaten”.