Small Business Spotlight: Kabob-It Turns Global Flavors into an Expanding Food Concept

Maisha Oliver-Muhammad spent years watching thousands of University of Chicago students, faculty, and staff move through the campus dining halls each day. They were often in a hurry – heading to class, a meeting, or just the next stop in a packed schedule.

And when Oliver-Muhammad began thinking about opening a food business of her own, that rhythm helped shape the concept.

“I kept asking myself, ‘What can I create for a professor who wants a quick bite or a student trying to get to the next class?’” she said. “Something flavorful that they could pick up and take with them.”

The answer became Kabob-It, a restaurant in Hutchinson Commons on the UChicago campus that pairs Mediterranean cuisine with African American culinary influences and a growing range of flavors from around the world.

The menu includes common staples, but Oliver-Muhammad uses daily specials as a place to experiment. 

She introduced customers to za’atar, a seasoning blend common across the Middle East and Mediterranean, and built around ingredients and flavor profiles from different parts of the world.

“Right now, I describe it as Mediterranean and African American fusion, but the ultimate goal is to make it more universal,” Oliver-Muhammad said. “I want to touch different parts of the planet, bring those ingredients into the community, and show people how exciting something new can be.”

That ambition grew out of a personal turning point.

Oliver-Muhammad was going through challenges and considering what the next chapter of her life could look like. She enrolled in culinary school, completed a two-year program, and joined an externship that brought her to the University of Chicago.

She has been part of the campus dining community ever since.

Oliver-Muhammad started in the back of the house but quickly moved into front-of-house operations. She became a supervisor and worked across several campus dining locations, including one that served as many as 3,500 students a day. The experience taught her how large food-service operations function, and what might be possible on her own.

While working in retail dining, Oliver-Muhammad ran daily reports for independent food vendors operating on campus. She began studying the numbers and imagining herself on the other side of them.

“I remember looking at the revenue reports and thinking, ‘I’m in the wrong profession,’” she said with a laugh. “Of course, I understand now that there are expenses, food costs, and labor. But at that moment, it sparked something in me. I knew that was the direction I wanted to go.”

When she told a campus dining leader that she wanted to become a vendor, he laid out everything she would need: a business license, insurance, kitchen access, and the systems required to operate legally and safely.

Oliver-Muhammad got to work.

She met with the City of Chicago’s business licensing department, formed an LLC, secured the necessary licenses, and began operating from a shared kitchen. She then opened a 333-square-foot cafe off campus, where she gained experience running a business and began testing the food that would eventually become Kabob-It.

“It took me about two years to get everything in place,” she said. “By the time the opportunity came, the homework was done. I was in the right position to take that leap of faith.”

The opportunity arrived during a transition in the University’s dining operations. Because Oliver-Muhammad had years of institutional knowledge, she was asked to return temporarily and help the incoming team understand operations. What was expected to last three months stretched to six, then nine.

After becoming ill, Oliver-Muhammad decided it was time to fully commit to the business she had been preparing to build.

With support from UChicago Dining, Kabob-It opened in Hutchinson Commons.

“I was elated to see the vision materialize,” Oliver-Muhammad said. “The lines wrapped around the building. It was everything I had dreamed of.”

As the business grew, members of the UChicago dining teams encouraged Oliver-Muhammad to connect with the Polsky Exchange. She enrolled in the Polsky Center’s Small Business Growth Program, which pairs South and West Side business owners with University of Chicago graduate student consultants, Chicago Booth faculty, and experienced coaches to address challenges and build strategies for sustainable growth.

For Oliver-Muhammad, one of the program’s most valuable lessons came from examining Kabob-It’s day-to-day operations. Food costs were too high, in part because open containers made it easy for staff to serve inconsistent portions.

The solution was straightforward: switch to three-compartment containers that established the right amount of rice, salad, and protein for each meal.

“It might seem small, but those things add up so quickly,” Oliver-Muhammad said. “The team came into the space, observed the operation, and helped me see where we could fine-tune. Getting portions under control made a huge difference in our food costs.”

The experience helped Oliver-Muhammad understand the value of stepping back from daily demands to build systems that could support a larger business. She also developed a close relationship with Isra Omar, senior assistant director at the Polsky Center, who continued sending her programs, opportunities, and other resources after the engagement ended.

One of those opportunities was the Chicago Bears Small Business All-Pros program. Oliver-Muhammad applied and was selected as one of the program’s 2024–25 winners, earning promotional support, business resources, and recognition from the team.

“Whatever Isra sends me, I jump on it,” Oliver-Muhammad said. “The Polsky Center has been one of the greatest resources I’ve experienced, and I tell every entrepreneur I meet to go there.”

Now, Kabob-It is entering its next stage.

The idea for a second campus location began when Oliver-Muhammad was invited to serve food at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

“So many students showed up, and I realized there was a community there that would really love this food,” Oliver-Muhammad said. “That’s when I started asking what it would take to get into the space.”

After several years of conversations and preparation, Kabob-It opened at Illinois Tech on August 17. Like the Hutchinson Commons restaurant, the new location will primarily serve students while remaining open to the public.

For Oliver-Muhammad, the expansion is an important milestone, but far from the final destination. Over the next few years she wants to continue strengthening Kabob-It’s systems, expanding its footprint, and developing a concept that could be repeated well beyond Chicago.

“I see Kabob-It everywhere,” she said. “I want to see how far I can stretch, how far I can push myself, and how far a great vision can go. The dream is to expand across the United States and ultimately become global.”

Oliver-Muhammad credits the University of Chicago, UChicago Dining, food service provider Chartwells, and the Polsky Center with helping her move from longtime dining employee to entrepreneur, and now multi-location business owner.

“They invested in my vision and helped breathe life into it,” she said. “They gave me the support I needed. I’m grateful, and I’m still absorbing all the good that is happening.”

Follow Kabob-It on Instagram @kabob_it.