Gymshark, the popular British fitness apparel brand, just opened their first store in Kuwait this morning. The store is located in the new extension of 360 Mall, between Vol.1 and Pick. The brand was founded in the UK back in 2012 and quickly became one of the biggest fitness apparel brands in the world. They became popular mostly through social media and fitness influencers, but I first found about them when I was in London and came across their store in Regent Street. Al Tayer Group, the Emirati company behind brands like Bloomingdale’s and SKIMS, are also the ones who brought Gymshark to Kuwait.

United Kingdom · 7 May

Welcome to our store in London ❤️💙

United Kingdom · 20 Feb 2020

Dubai's Operation: Falafel to expand to New York, London and Paris

You don’t have to settle for mediocre falafel again as Dubai brand Operation: Falafel is set to expand to New York, London and Paris, with the first brand in the Big Apple expected to open in Q2 of 2020, according AWJ Investments, which runs eight F&B concepts across 24 outlets in the Middle East. Operation: Falafel, which is known for its modern twist on casual Middle Eastern street food, will roll out 400 shops around the world with selected franchise partnerships by 2022. Manhal Naser, CEO and Co-Founder of AWJ Investments, said the homegrown UAE brand plans to take international markets by storm. “We’re incredibly proud of the regional success of Operation: Falafel and we know that the time is right to take the brand into unchartered international markets. Being a UAE homegrown brand and moving into the western market is almost unheard of and we’re excited to be one of the first. “In the region we see many global F&B concepts coming into Dubai but rarely see the opposite, a local brand taking international markets by storm. We’re proud to mark this change,” he said. Naser said the brand’s challenge was to find the right investors and operators to work with to ensure the quality of their products. “We have taken the time to get everything in the right place as we will never compromise on quality and consistency – when someone enjoys one of our falafels in New York, London or Paris it must be just as good as in Dubai,” he said.

Dubai · United Kingdom · 8 Feb 2020

Jamie Oliver to expand restaurants abroad after UK collapse

Jamie Oliver Group has said international franchisees plan to open 21 new Jamie Oliver-branded restaurants by the end of 2020. At least two of those restaurants will be under a new casual dining brand called Jamie Oliver Kitchen. In May, the UK business fell into administration, with 1,000 jobs lost. At the time, the celebrity chef said he was "devastated [and] saddened" by what had happened. However, while the UK group - which included the Jamie's Italian chain, Barbecoa and Fifteen - collapsed, the international businesses stayed afloat. It has 70 restaurants, all of which are run as franchises, in 27 markets worldwide. Two new Jamie Oliver Kitchen restaurants are now due to open in Bali and Bangkok by the end of November and will be run by group franchise partner HPL. The restaurants will open in repurposed Jamie's Italian premises. Nineteen further restaurants will open abroad next year under various brands, including Jamie's Italian, Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria, Jamie's Deli and Jamie Oliver's Diner. The firm did not say where they would be based. Following the administration in May, all but three of Jamie Oliver's 25 UK restaurants closed. The firm had been struggling with a UK-wide slowdown in the casual dining sector which also saw Byron and Prezzo announce closures. In September, it emerged that Mr Oliver had paid himself a £5.2m dividend in 2018, but also poured millions of his own money into supporting his restaurants. Profits at the Jamie Oliver Group - which includes the chef's media business as well as his restaurant interests - fell sharply that year. Speaking about the new openings, Mr Oliver said: "Over the past 20 years, I have travelled around the world to discover exciting flavour combinations, picking up incredible influences along the way. "The new restaurants will bring those inspirations to life and serve some of my absolute all-time favourites."

United Kingdom · 17 Nov 2019

Annabel Karmel ,the UKs no.1 children’s cookery book author launched her exclusive food range at Costa Coffee Kuwait today. Annabel will be visiting Kuwait this week to launch the new range and meet our customers and the press. Look out for more new food products in Costa Coffee ,Kuwait.

United Kingdom · 24 Oct 2017

Alghanim Industries to open 30 F&B outlets in 2017

Kuwait’s Alghanim Industries is planning to open 30 new F&B outlets in the GCC next year under the Wendy’s and Costa Coffee brands, the company’s vice president of food and beverage, Phil Broad, told Caterer Middle East in a recent interview. “We’ll open three more Wendy’s in Dubai, and we’re looking at a couple of locations in Abu Dhabi, then we’ll open four or five in Kuwait. We’ll open another 13 or 14 Costa Coffees in Kuwait as well, and then we’re going to put five or six locations in Saudi Arabia. That will keep us busy next year — doing nearly 30 outleta is nearly one every couple of weeks,” Broad said. Alghanim Industries signed a master franchise agreement with The Wendy’s Company in February 2015, acquiring the exclusive rights to develop all Wendy’s operational outlets in the UAE and open additional stores across the Middle East and North Africa in the next decade. The deal reinforced Alghanim’s strategy to partner with international F&B franchises, and build on its 2013 acquisition of Costa Coffee Kuwait. Alghanim has since invested in refurbishing existing outlets, opening new ones and broadened the product range. It currently operates 34 Costa outlets in Kuwait. Speaking about the progress made, Broad commented: “We’re up against coffee brands that have been in Kuwait longer but we’re seen as one of the best operators of coffee now. We have our own training centre for our baristas and we’ve used celebrity chef Dean Brettschneider from New Zealand to develop a whole new range of cakes and pastries for us, and we’ll continually launch new food ranges [in Costa].” Continuing, Broad said: “It’s all about driving longevity, rather than a short-term profit hit, which historically is how I think they [Costa Kuwait outlets] may well have been run.” There have been a number of changes implemented by Alghanim since its acquisition of Wendy’s Middle East, as Broad explained: “Since buying the business in February last year, it’s taken us some time to start delivering the Wendy’s experience. Here in Dubai, you’ve seen refurbished stores and the launch of our value offer ‘4 for 14’, then the jalapeño freshco, and now the big Angus launch. "So, the traction of the brand is starting the build and our intention was always to open in our home territory of Kuwait.” Broad revealed that after six months of searching for the right location, Alghanim has secured “a fantastic spot where most of the other competitors play” that allows for a drive-through and features “a super new design”, to create what will be the flagship Wendy’s Kuwait. In terms of UAE growth for the fast-casual brand, Broad confirmed that Alghanim has purchased land on Jumeirah Beach Road, next to the Costa Coffee drive-through, to build “a billboard Wendy’s location”, and secured space in The Dubai Mall and the new Oasis Mall extension for two outlets. “We’re gaining momentum. There aren’t many people next year who are going to open 30 plus outlets, and we’re on the lookout for more brands,” Broad reveals. Read the full interview with Phil Broad in a future issue of Caterer Middle East.

United Kingdom · 30 Oct 2016

UK giant M&S eyes more Middle East openings

British retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) said on Monday it plans to open a number of new stores across the Middle East over the next few years. The company confirmed its commitment to the region as it announced plans to enter the Jordanian market for the first time. M&S said in a statement that it will open a new store at TAJ Lifestyle in Amman next month. It did not give further details of its expansion plans in the region. The iconic British brand, which was established in 1884, already has a strong presence in the Middle East, which is one of its priority International markets, with 18 stores in the region through its partnership with franchisee Al-Futtaim Group. Jan Heere, Marks & Spencer's director of International, said: "We're delighted to be opening our first store in Jordan in December. "Our new store in Amman will be the first of many new M&S stores planned for the Middle East over the next few years and will feature our latest womenswear, lingerie and beauty products." M&S last year said it planned to speed up its international expansion in a bid to offset domestic competition with revenue from fast-growing emerging markets. Former chief executive Mark Bolland said in February 2011 that he planned to transform M&S “from a UK multi-channel retailer to an international multi-channel retailer” by 2015. M&S has more than 350 stores in 42 overseas territories. Earlier this month, the high street retailer said that UK like-for-like sales during the three months to the end of September were level with last year. The quarterly sales growth of the food division was 1.6 percent while sales in the general merchandise business dropped 1.8 percent. For the first half of the year as a whole, sales were down 1.4 percent because of a weak first quarter.

United Kingdom · 11 Nov 2012

Family run restaurant secures £1.7m for two new branches

Birmingham-based Harnbury Holdings Ltd (Harnbury), the name behind the hugely popular San Carlo, Signor Sassi, Chicchetti and Fumo restaurants, is opening two new restaurants thanks to funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB). The first of these restaurants, Fumo, opened in early June next to the existing San Carlo restaurant on Temple Street in Birmingham’s city centre featuring a bar and Italian style tapas along the lines of their Chicchetti brand- small plate dishes designed to be shared or eaten alone. The second, a San Carlo Chicchetti, is due to open in July in the prime tourist and theatre-going area of Piccadilly in London. The two new openings will bring the total number of restaurants run by the family to 11 and is expected to create 140 new jobs. The RBS CIB team has banked with Harnbury since 1999 and has supported the business as it has grown from a two-restaurant business. RBS has provided loan facilities to help fund the purchase and development of the two new restaurants. This family-run independent chain started in 1992 when Carlo Distefano opened his first San Carlo restaurant in Birmingham. Since then, the reputation and presence of San Carlo has grown and now boasts restaurants in Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London and Manchester. Carlo’s three children are all active in helping to run and develop the business and the company’s expansion has gained momentum in the last few years with London marking its fourth opening since the start of 2011. In addition, the business is developing an international franchise business with Signor Sassi restaurants in the Middle East and one in Bangkok opening soon. Marcello Distefano, director of Harnbury Holdings Ltd, said: “This is a very exciting time for our business. By the summer we will have opened four new restaurants in the UK in little over 12 months. Our success has been built on providing authentic Italian food using the freshest produce much of which is bought from the markets in Milan but I would like to thank RBS for sharing and supporting our ambition as we bring that food to new audiences across the UK and beyond.” Ed Urbas, relationship director at RBS CIB, said: “We are proud to have been able to bank this great enterprise since 1999 and have been fully supportive of Carlos and the family as they have expanded the business. We are delighted to have provided this funding which sees them open two very exciting new restaurants in excellent locations and to developing our relationship with them further as they no doubt continue to build their portfolio of restaurants.”

United Kingdom · 5 Jul 2012

"الشايع" و"مذركير" تحتفلان بمرور 25 عاماً على افتتاح أول محالها

احتفلت شركة "محمد حمود الشايع"، الوكيل الحصري لأشهر العلامات التجارية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط، و"مذركير"الشركة البريطانية الرائدة في مجال منتجات المواليد الجدد والأطفال وأزياء الحوامل أخيرا بمرور 25 عاماً على بدء شراكتهما في المنطقة. وبهذه المناسبة، زار بن جوردون الرئيس التنفيذي لمذركير الكويت أخيرا، وحضر حفل العشاء الذي أقامه محمد عبد العزيز الشايع رئيس مجلس الإدارة التنفيذي لشركة محمد حمود الشايع في منزله. وأكد محمد عبد العزيز الشايع عراقة " مذركير" وتميز المنتجات التي تقدمها لعملائها مما أسهم في بنائها علاقة متواصلة مع كثير من الأسر في منطقة الخليج العربي . وأشار إلى أن شركة محمد حمود الشايع حرصت منذ بدء نشاطها في قطاع التجزئة على أن يكون لها شراكة متميزة مع " مذركير" حيث افتتحت أول محالها في المنطقة عام 1983 . وبين أن قطاع التجزئة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط شهد نموا ملحوظا خلال السنوات الأخيرة ولا تزال أسواق المنطقة تقدم عديدا من الفرص الاستثمارية للشركات المتخصصة والراغبة في العمل في قطاع التجزئة. وقال الشايع إن الشراكة مع "مذركير" تطورت إلى مستوى متميز حيث بلغ عدد محالها أكثر من 180 محلا تتوزع في مختلف المراكز التجارية و الجمعيات التعاونية. من جهته، أكد بن جوردون الرئيس التنفيذي أهمية العلاقة التي تربط مذركير بشركة محمد حمود الشايع والتي أسهمت بدورها في توسيع نطاق وجودهما الجغرافي في مناطق أخرى خارج الشرق الأوسط حيث تمثل الشايع أيضا مذركير في كل من روسيا وبولندا و جمهورية التشيك وسلوفاكيا. وأضاف "إن هذه الأسواق تحقق نموا مماثلا لما تحققه أسواق الشرق الأوسط ولا تزال نتطلع إلى المزيد من التوسع وتحقيق الإنجازات من خلال الشراكة مع شركة الشايع". وقدم محمد عبد العزيز الشايع بهذه المناسبة درعا تذكارية للسيد بن جوردون احتفاءً بهذه العلاقة التجارية الوطيدة والناجحة بين الشركتين.

United Kingdom · 15 Jan 2009

Gourmet Gulf expands into Kuwait

Gourmet Gulf, the UAE-based food and beverage retail company, has earmarked Kuwait for the initial phase of its GCC-wide expansion programme and is planning to invest some USD4-5 million in ten restaurants in the country by February next year. Kuwait: The first four outlets, in Kuwait City's Marina Mall, are due to open in June. They are the conveyor belt Sushi concept YO! Sushi, the UK's award-winning Gourmet Burger Kitchen, the famed Morelli's Gelato - the first outside Britain - and the newly-created Pizzeria Cucina, the first, solely-owned Gourmet Gulf brand, home-grown in the GCC. Covering 15,000 feet of floor-space, the ten outlets will eventually employ some 150 people, with leading managerial roles set-aside for nationals. Gourmet Gulf says Kuwait was chosen for the first phase of regional expansion because the country has one of the GCC's highest foodservice shares of consumed food. 'Kuwait, like many of the GCC countries, is over-laden with possibilities for the casual diner - consistent growth in regional economies and the knock-on effect of increased spending power have resulted in a more demanding consumer,' said Sami Daud, Managing Director, Gourmet Gulf Company. Pizzeria Cucina has been inspired by an internationally renowned Chef from London who is bringing his signature recipes to customers across the Gulf. The Marina Mall restaurant will feature a locally built, traditional stone oven creating authentic, high-end pizzas. 'With Pizzeria Cucina we are significantly developing the portfolio of Gourmet Gulf, taking our company vision to the next level. This initiative will be a home-grown brand that we are extremely confident will cause ripples throughout the F & B industry. The potential for Pizzeria Cucina to evolve beyond the GCC is there and we fully intend to nurture it,' explained Mr. Daud. Having won the 'Best Burger' in London award for the last two years, Gourmet Burger Kitchen is the leader in themed burger concepts, offering diners 'towering' burgers of the highest quality. 'We are committed to delivering the best and GBK has a proven track record of being just that - specializing in fresh quality produce, handled and prepared with care to produce exceptionally fresh and delicious food, GBK gives the customer incredible product satisfaction,' commented Mr. Daud. Kuwait's Morelli's Gelato will offer freshly made, luxury ice-cream daily. Morelli's, from their flagship operation in London's Harrods, have established a reputation as the designer Italian ice-cream and provide another top-tier addition to the Gourmet Gulf portfolio.

United Kingdom · 5 Jul 2006