Al Farooj Fresh

Last updated
Al Farooj Fresh
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Fast food
Founded1994;31 years ago (1994)
Headquarters United Arab Emirates
Parent Al Islami Foods

Al Farooj Fresh is an international chain of fast food restaurants based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). [1] Al Farooj Fresh was the first fast-casual restaurant chain in the UAE to offer foods such as shawarma sandwiches and chicken meals. [2] [ clarification needed ]

Contents

Al Farooj Fresh is a wholly owned subsidiary of Al Islami Foods, a company that provides halal food products, and has 18 branches worldwide, including 14 in the UAE, 1 in Oman and 2 in Lebanon. [3]

History

Al-Farooj Fresh was founded by a Lebanese family in 1994, with the first branch opening in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, that year. By 2006, the chain had expanded to a total of eight branches. [4]

On February 25, 2006, at the Gulfood Exhibition held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, it was announced that Al Farooj was acquired by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders,[ citation needed ] an organisation launched in 2002 to encourage and facilitate the development of business and entrepreneurial activity among UAE nationals. [5] After Al Islami's final approval of the franchisee selection, the establishment worked jointly with Al Islami to introduce the concept to UAE entrepreneurs.[ citation needed ]

In February 2008, Al Islami acquired majority shares of the Al Farooj restaurant chain, relaunching the franchise later that month with plans to expand operations to serve the Middle Eastern market. [6] Coinciding with the relaunch of Al Farooj Fresh, Al Islami announced plans to unveil their hospitality arm, of which Al Farooj Fresh was a major part of the portfolio, along with Al Islami Cart, Al Islami Meat Shops and several food products. [7] The company's expansion continued into 2009, with Al Islami revealing that they would be expanding the Al Farooj chain to 17 branches with an investment of DHS 8 million (appx $2.2 million), providing them with 17 branches worldwide consisting of 14 in the UAE, 1 in Oman and 2 in Lebanon., [3] and Kuwait.

References

  1. "Al Farooj Fresh". businessweek.com. Business Week. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  2. Fenton, Suzanne (February 25, 2008). "New restaurant chain promotes halal fast-food". gulfnews.com. Gulf News. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Al Farooj Restaurant invests Dhs8 million into UAE expansion". albawaba.com. Al Bawaba. March 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-16.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "History and Expansion". alfarooj.com. Al Farooj. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  5. "Mohammed Bin Rashid awards". smeawards.ae. SME Awards. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  6. "What's new in your industry: Food, beverages and tobacco: UAE". Business Middle East. 16 (6): 7. March 16, 2008.
  7. "Al Islami Foods set to unveil hospitality arm". khaleejtimes.com. Khaleej Times. February 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2009-05-16.