Starting with Dubai and in a “strategic partnership” with Kitch
The iconic Lebanese restaurant
Barbar has announced its partnership with Kitch, the region’s first
hybrid, delivery-focused, cloud kitchen and premium store-front
operator, to expand its operations to key cities in the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) region. Based on its successful experience and the
reputation that it has maintained in Lebanon for 42 years, Barbar will
soon open its first restaurant in Dubai and in other key cities in the
region.
Barbar said in a statement that it has signed a franchise agreement with
Kitch that allows it to open its first restaurant in the GCC in Dubai to be
followed by further expansion in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
According to the statement, the new 600 square meters Barbar
restaurant, located in Hessa street in Dubai, will offer both dine-in and
delivery services. Eight restaurants and cloud kitchens will be opened in
the UAE, and 20 of them will be opened in Saudi Arabia, four of which
will start operating in the second semester of this year. Barbar will also
open two restaurants in Qatar before the beginning of the football
World Cup hosted by Doha in 2022.
Mohammad Ghaziri, launched Barbar in 1979 as a small ‘Manouche’
bakery in front of the famous Piccadilly theatre in the heart of Beirut.
Within the first few years of opening, the restaurant gained fame for its
delicious manouchés and was visited by singers, artists, and celebrities
who performed at the theatre.
As a family business, Barbar was built from the ground up over the
years, introducing new products such as shawarma, falafel, fatayer,
grills, burgers, ice creams and fruit cocktails to its extensive menu.
Barbar has never closed its establishments and continues to remain
open 24/7, even during the pandemic and periods of strife. Today,
more than a comfort food outlet, Barbar is one of the most-acclaimed
restaurants in Lebanon and regarded as a tourist attraction.
Mohammad Al Ghaziri, Founder of Barbar, stated that Barbar plans to
expand its operations globally “based on its fame in Lebanon”. He said:
“The Lebanese have grown attached to us over 40 years and we are
sure that they will be proud to hear that Barbar will expand in other
countries and introduce people to Lebanese food in the best way”.
“We are thrilled to partner with Kitch as we focus on expanding our
business to international markets. With this strategic partnership, we
will be able to accelerate our expansion plans and bolster our presence
in key markets in a relatively short span of time,” he added. “The
technology-led, business model of Kitch is going to be the future of
both global and regional cloud-kitchen industry. We are looking
forward to offering our wide selection of Lebanese flavours to the
diverse population of the UAE and Saudi Arabia through Kitch’s brick-
and-mortar facilities and virtual kitchens.”
Walid Hajj, Co-founder and CEO of Kitch, said: “We are honoured to
represent Barbar and look forward to bringing the 40-year-old
signature recipes and authentic flavours of Lebanon to key cities in the
GCC through our hybrid model. As part of our franchise agreement, we
will be serving the world-class offerings and the delectable menu of
Barbar through our premium store-front facilities and cloud-kitchens in
the region.” He added that “The alliance underlines our commitment to
further build the F&B sector and deliver a portfolio of exciting brands
and innovative culinary offerings. We are confident that our omni-
channel cloud kitchen model will further strengthen Barbar’s brand
positioning and following in the GCC.”
Kitch is the brainchild of Walid Hajj and Fahad Al Hokair’s mission to be
at the forefront of food innovation and take the kitchen in the cloud
concept to the next level through a more flexible, hybrid cloud
approach. The company entered the F&B sector earlier this year with
privately raised capital of US$15 million. It aims to achieve operational
excellence and set industry benchmarks by offering an integrated, next-
generation model that focuses on quality over quantity.
Kitch plans to open four delivery kitchens in Riyadh by end of March
and additional 15 kitchens across the GCC by the end of the year. Each
delivery kitchen is spread over an area of 450sqm to 500sqm and is fully
equipped to serve around 10 food concepts. Kitch is also in discussion
with several regional and international food-concept owners and will be
unveiling more brand partnerships in the coming months.
