Check Out Aram Gevorgyan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aram Gevorgyan.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Back in 2019, my cousin Ovik and I, noticed a gap in the local food scene for really good shawarma. Since we couldn’t find a spot we genuinely loved, we decided to create our own. We spent months testing marinades, sauces, and different cuts of meat until we finally built a sample menu. We even hosted tastings in my backyard with family and friends to get honest feedback.

Just as we were ready to launch, COVID hit, and we made the tough decision to pause our plans. A few years later, in 2024, after saving up, we decided to go all in and buy a food truck. We put every penny we had into it, refined our recipes, built a menu, started promoting through social media, and tried out different spots around town. Eventually, we landed in Sherman Oaks, and that’s where Rusty’s Shawarma Shack has been since the beginning of 2025.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
After COVID, we honestly weren’t sure if we’d ever pick this idea back up again and actually make it happen. And once we did, we quickly realized it was a lot more time, sacrifice, and hard work than we expected.

In the beginning, it was just the two of us grocery shopping, cleaning the food truck every day, washing and chopping veggies, marinating the meats, literally doing everything ourselves. There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. It’s not just parking somewhere and cooking food; it’s a nonstop grind.

Eventually, we realized we needed help, and my younger brother Levon graciously stepped in to become our third partner. From there, he took over most of the prep work while Ovik and I handled everything else.

When we finally opened in November 2024, we knew it would take time to build a following, but we didn’t expect to lose as much money as we did in those early days. Nobody knew about us yet, and every day felt like a challenge. We started running some ads to get our name out there, which helped a bit but honestly, nothing compares to the power of a returning customer. That’s where we see the most success: once people actually try our food, they keep coming back. So right now, our main goal is just to get discovered by more people — because once they do, we know they’ll be back.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We really wanted to create something that was completely our own, not the “traditional shawarma”, but something that blended Middle Eastern and American flavors. I think we’ve accomplished that.
Something that really sets us apart is our bread (or not). A lot of places focus on the wrap, but for us the bread is just a vessel. The real star is what’s inside. We want every bite to be packed with flavor, not mostly bread. We use lavash, which is a centuries-old Armenian flatbread, so it ties in beautifully with our fusion concept honoring our roots while adding a modern twist.
And speaking of modern twists, our spicy truffle sauce has become a customer favorite. It’s the perfect example of what we’re all about- taking something classic and giving it a new, exciting flavor that still respects where it came from.
One of the things we’re most proud of is the quality of our food. For example, if it’s a slow day and the meat on the spit starts to dry out because it hasn’t been cut in a while, we’ll throw it out, no hesitation. We’ll never serve dry or old meat to our customers. Everything is made fresh daily. We cut fresh veggies, prep new meat on the spit every morning, and never reuse anything from the day before.
We also make a big effort to use clean, high-quality ingredients. Our beef and chicken are halal to accommodate more people’s dietary needs, and we fry our fries in beef tallow. Cleanliness is another huge priority for us; we wash and sanitize our truck and equipment every single day to make sure everything’s spotless.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rustys.ss
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rustys-shawarma-shack-los-angeles