The popular Lebanese restaurant Barbar has partnered up with Kitch, the regional 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, and 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 is even regarded as a tourist attraction.
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.
