From Dream to Devastation, and Hope for the Future

Four months ago, we launched Yalla Shawarma with a dream: to bring fresh, delicious food to our community and build a thriving local business rooted in passion, love, and connection. We poured everything we had into this venture—our time, energy, and savings. The response from the community has been incredible, and we’ve cherished every moment of serving you.

However, our journey took a devastating turn recently. Over two consecutive nights, our food truck was both robbed and attacked. The thieves stole over $7,500 worth of vital equipment, including our cash register, phone, tablets, and central POS computer. They even cut the power cable directly from the PNM pole to disable our cameras, stealing electrical cables and outlets in the process.

While the police investigation is ongoing, we no longer feel safe at our current location. For the safety of our team and the future of our business, we’ve made the difficult decision to close temporarily until we can find a secure location to park and operate.

This setback is heartbreaking, but we’re not giving up. We are determined to rebuild Yalla Shawarma and continue serving the community we love. That’s why we’re reaching out to you, our incredible supporters, for help.

With your support, we can replace the stolen equipment, repair the damages, and take the next step toward securing a safe and permanent location for Yalla Shawarma—perhaps even transitioning to a brick-and-mortar space. Together, we can ensure that this setback doesn’t mark the end of our journey but instead a fresh start to come back stronger than ever.

Every contribution, big or small, will bring us closer to rebuilding. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this campaign with your network would mean just as much.

Thank you for your kindness and belief in us—it means the world.

With gratitude,

The YALLA! Team