Scaling Crafty Ramen throughout North America
Having grown up in a family that made its name in the restaurant world, Khalil Khamis' passion for the industry came naturally. Khalil has a penchant for the numbers side of the business and pursued a degree in Management Economics and Industry Finance at the University of Guelph. During this time, he co-founded and exited a multifaceted event marketing and production business, Fresh Media Events Inc., which produced over 300 events in a four-year period.
With this entrepreneurial background, Khalil entered the restaurant franchisee environment, growing his family's Harvey’s locations from 2 units to 6 units. Khalil’s franchise restaurants are some of the top-producing locations in the country. Khalil has received multiple awards from Harvey’s and its parent company, Recipe Unlimited Corporation and has been sought as a corporate advisor to help enhance profitability and sales through his past board seat on the Harvey’s Franchisee Association.
Khalil joined Crafty Ramen in 2018 as a strategic investor and has since played a pivotal role in catapulting system sales by over 500%, taking on the CEO role in February 2021. Crafty Ramen’s frozen product is now available in over 2,700 grocery stores across Canada with major retailers such as Walmart, Sobeys, Loblaws and Metro. Crafty Ramen is now sold in over 4,200 stores in the USA. Their frozen ramen is available in notable banners like Kroger, Target, Albertsons, Sprouts and more. Crafty Ramen made Canada’s Top Growing Companies list in 2022 and 2023 and Canada’s Top Companies to Watch in 2025 and 2026; they appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2022, slaying the Dragons’ with a deal on TV.
Khalil has a passion for giving back to the community; he is a past Chair of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital, and currently sits on the advisory board of the J.F. Wood Centre at the University of Guelph. Recently, Khalil has been honoured with the Frank Hasenfrazt Award of Excellence by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, which celebrates an organization or individual who embodies business excellence and the entrepreneurial spirit. Khalil has also been named by Founder’s Beta in the Top 20 Canadian Entrepreneurs to Watch list.
In his off time, Khalil can be found on the golf course, checking out the newest local restaurants or perfecting his at-home pizza dough recipe.
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