Food & Beverage

FIVE MINUTES IN KITCHEN UTOPIA WITH MOHAMAD BALLOUT

Mohamad Ballout, CEO and founder of Kitopi — a renowned cloud kitchen platform — prides himself on being in the business of “satisfying the world’s appetite.” Here, he speaks about allowing brands to scale up across borders.

Kitopi is short for “kitchen utopia.” What can you tell us about the company?

We are the world’s leading managed cloud kitchen platform. As F&B concepts develop and grow, we make sure our kitchens are perfect, technologically advanced with state-of-the-art infrastructure, hence the name: Kitchen Utopia. How does Kitopi help F&B concepts?

By replicating a firm’s menu and o ering access to any of our 60 plus kitchens in UAE, KSA and Kuwait, we take care of the operations on behalf of the brand, so that they can focus on what they do best — marketing and product innovation. What do you anticipate the new normal will be post Covid-19?

From a business perspective, the new normal is the work-from-anywhere culture. Last year, we gave our Kitopians the freedom to work wherever they felt most comfortable, with our o ces open for those who wanted to use them; productivity is not confined within o ce walls.

From an industry standpoint, customers today have access to thousands more additional options than they had a year ago due to the rise of on-demand delivery and cloud kitchens alike. Dine in will never be the same again, and the winners will be organizations and brands that not only put the customer first but those that are highly customer focused. kitopi.com

Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com

PASSING THYME WITH RESTAURATEUR CARLA REBEIZ

Having spent her life between Paris and Brazil, Carla Rebeiz left her job as an investment banker to establish Eats Thyme, a food concept. HN spoke to the Lebanese entrepreneur to learn more about her journey.

What can you tell us about Eats Thyme?

Eats Thyme is a contemporary take on Lebanese cuisine that focuses on seasonal, fresh ingredients. We redefined the manoushe by creating new recipes, mixing Lebanese and international flavors that truly tickle the taste buds.

Where do you buy your ingredients from?

We source our zaatar and sumac from a women’s cooperative in Lebanon, thus providing them with financial support. The halawa and tahini are from Cortas. I am always on the lookout for premium orange blossom water, pomegranate molasses and arak, among other Lebanese favorites. Do you have plans to expand beyond France?

From its inception, Eats Thyme was developed with the ambition of expanding the brand internationally. We are already researching markets outside France. eatsthyme.com

Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com

HOW “HOME IN A BITE” IS PROMOTING LEBANESE FOOD CONCEPTS IN THE UAE AND BEYOND

HN speaks to Christine Assouad, founder and CEO of The Catalyst of Growth, to learn more about her “Home in a Bite" project and how it’s bringing a piece of Lebanon to the UAE and the Gulf.

What made you decide to take 15 Lebanese food concepts to Dubai?

The “Home in a Bite” project was created to scale and grow Lebanese restaurant brands, while bringing new amazing food options to consumers in Dubai. You can find our brands on homeinabite.com, on our Instagram page (@homeinabite) and on Deliveroo. We are starting with Dubai as a pilot, and we intend to keep growing across the UAE and the rest of the Gulf.

What can you tell us about the brands that have joined the initiative?

The first eight brands are: Tawlet by Souk el Tayeb, DeliCo (including BurgerCo burgers), Ummi, Casper & Gambinis, Tarator, Diet Center, Cuisine d’Amour and Semsom. Seven additional brands will be joining soon. catalystofgrowth.com

Read the full interview on hospitalitynewsmag.com

MEET THE MEN BEHIND

ESSAM BEHERY

CEO of Sky Hospitality

What can you tell us about your beginnings and the journey to where you are today?

I come from a corporate, multi-national business background. After 15 years, I transitioned to FMCG operations for a large industrial group. Now what we’re here to build is a very strong FMB and AgriFood sector within the group. We are also looking forward to importing high-end end products for the market. What can you tell us about Sky Investments and Sky Hospitality?

Sky Hospitality is a new member of the Sky Investment Group, owner of Park St. business mall. Sky Hospitality is an idea that was created to establish a large F&B sector within the group. Where do you see Sky Hospitality in three years' time?

Through cooperation with SP Holding in Lebanon, which owns 18 di erent brands, Sky Hospitality has identified five restaurants with diverse cuisines for launch across Egypt. What are the concepts you are launching soon?

We have Ni, which o ers Italian and Japanese fusion cuisine, while Le Flandrin is from Paris, serving French cuisine and all-day dining meals, patisserie, bakery products, chocolate and macarons. Mounai is Mediterranean cuisine, focusing on seafood in a Lebanese style. Cocteau, meanwhile, is a lounge that serves all-day meals and also has a nice bar. What is your long-term strategic vision for the company?

The strategic vision is to roll out approximately 20 di erent concepts in the next three years, and support this with a huge operational central kitchen. How do you foresee the expansion plan?

We are moving to the east side of Cairo for the moment, with three openings in the coming months for Ni, Mounai and Le Flandrin. We are also looking at the north coast in summer and other possibilities.

PIERRE ZIADEH

CEO of SP Holding – Lebanon

Tell us about your beginnings and your journey to becoming the founder of SP Holding

Living in France,I always dream of creating an F&B business. It’s a career with many opportunities for development. What inspired you to explore the Egyptian market?

Having the chance to meet Egyptian people and see how they always look for the best restaurants, best food and ambience. Egypt is also regarded as one of the most booming economies in the world. What was the inspiration behind bringing Le Flandrin to the ME?

When I lived in Paris, I used to be fascinated by the concept where you can have everything in one place, yet with a high standard. That means serving freshly baked bread and desserts, pastries, a widely varied menu for breakfast, appetizers, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, all in a beautiful ambience.

What is the recipe for success in the F&B sector?

The core of the business is quality of food and service; how to sustain the same consistency is the essential factor in defining long-term success in this business. What potential do local concepts and cuisines hold for development when compared to the launch of international franchises?

I think local concepts and cuisines hold as much potential for development as the launch of international franchises. As Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of vegetables and fruits it shares similarities with the food of the eastern Mediterranean region. In fact, one of the concepts that I am planning to introduce is to develop Egyptian cuisine with a modern twist.