Trendy twist to traditional cuisine
A popular restaurant concept owned by A'amal Holding, ‘Cafe Bazza’ serves authentic Kuwaiti food with modern twist. The company is looking to expand Cafe Bazza and Diet Care, its other food brands across Middle East. In an interaction, Ahmed Al Abdaly, Chairman and CEO, A'amal Holding Company shares brand’s further growth plans.
NB: Brief us about the origin and development of your company?
Ahmed Al Abdaly (AAA): Diet Care entered the food business sector in 1994 and is based in Kuwait. It began with operating locally created restaurant concepts. A year later, the company expanded its scope of business and forayed into the healthy food production sector and operation. Launched in 2005, the Diet Care company is a HACCP certified company. It is one of the leading organisation engaged in manufacturing and producing healthy food meals. Ours is among the first companies established in Kuwait that is committed to helping people manage their weight, overall health and wellbeing. With a passionate team of experts, Diet Care leads the food and nutrition industry in the Arabian Gulf countries.
Presently, the company has ownership of Kuwait’s well known restaurant brand Café Bazza that offers authentic Kuwaiti food and the Diet Care healthy food company.
NB: What is the USP of Diet Care?
AAA: Over the years, Diet Care has experienced an on-going success driven by quality product lines that are tasty, healthy, and fresh. Today, our growth speaks for itself; we are the largest in our industry with around 70 outlets and a modern fleet of more than 30 vehicles delivering thousands of meals on daily basis to clients’ homes and offices. We promote healthy living to our customers by being a provider of high quality, safe and nutritious catering; and a source of reliable and accurate nutrition education and information.
NB: Tell us about Café Bazza?
AAA: Founded in 2011 Café with its more than five, highly successful state-of-art branches in Kuwait, has proven to be a concept that fuses heritage and modernity. The concept’s idea was to provide authentic meals and genuine service with a high level of specialisation, along with global style and standards. Café Bazza has won the love and satisfaction of patrons significantly, and has achieved a wide spread in Kuwait in a short period. It has gained fame and success prompted to expand the opening of new Café Bazza branches. Although the restaurant serves Kuwaiti traditional dishes but still a trendy twist is present and international standards are followed in each step to assure best quality service in fast manners and clean environment.
NB: How and when did the company opt for the franchise route?
AAA: We have decided to franchise Cafe Bazza outside Kuwait aiming to expand the concept all over the region, and internationally later, which has become ready pattern to be franchise internationally. We believe that our success story has started. Besides, Diet Care is operating successfully in Kuwait and we are looking and planning to expand its activities throughout the region. We believe in our concepts and we would like to share its success formula with franchisees for a mutually beneficial and rewarding business relationship.
NB: What are the brand’s expansion plans in the Middle East and internationally in the coming future?
AAA: The potential of brand expansion in the Middle East and globally is very high, mainly in the food business. Based on the potential and market requirement we have designed the brand to be a franchise within the region and internationally. The franchise profile models have been developed too. We are planning to expand with confidence whether in or outside Kuwait through our concept which has become ready pattern to be franchise internationally. Getting a reputable franchisee is the most important factor we are looking for to expand in the coming future.
NB: Could you share franchise facts for the potential franchisee seeking partnership with you?
AAA: Location and area are one of the most important factors of our concept business successful. As a franchisor we play an active role in the selection and evaluation of the franchisee target area process in order to match the requirements of the brand and the advantages of the right area selection. The capital needed will depend on the franchisee location and his business plan. Moreover, the franchisee should be financially stable investor, to fulfill the investment requirements. A full details, advise and consultation will be offered to the franchisees in regard to the area, capital and specs when he interact with us.
NB: What are the qualities you look for, in the franchisees? What kind of training and support a franchisee can expect for successful operations?
AAA: The franchisee should be having entrepreneurial spirit with substantial experience in service sector, having the intention to spend long efficient time in the brand best management, having the good knowledge of human management and business management, commitment to preserve the brand image with commitment to apply all necessary rules, having the capability to comply with and maintain the brand standards strictly, and financially stable investor, to fulfill the investment requirements. We are offering a systematic training, assistance and support program to the franchisee consisting of complete training schedule covering pre and post opening, comprehensive set of operation manual, design and interior layout / architectural drawing support with monitoring the setting up of the location, assistance in sourcing of equipments, ongoing research and development support and updating with the new developed recipes, menu and services, ongoing quality assurance evaluation and regular audit and marketing program & ongoing marketing support.
NB: Kindly share your views on franchise business scenario in the Middle East.
AAA: Franchising is growing in popularity in Kuwait and the Middle East. It has proven itself to be an effective method of growing successful businesses; however, new franchises are regularly appearing on the markets across the country. Franchising is a popular way to establish additional consumer-oriented businesses in the Middle East which is rapidly expanding and diversifying as per the current scenario with big potential for the franchise business.
