QSR veteran Biggins bags Just Falafel UK post

Michael Biggins has been appointed as Just Falafel CEO for the UK and Ireland.

The Abu Dhabi-born quick service restaurant currently has three operations trading in central London.

Biggins, who has spent over two decades in a variety of operational positions for McDonalds and a previous vice president role managing half of IHOP’s business in the US, will be responsible for overseeing the stores in Covent Garden, Baker Street and Hammersmith Broadway.

He will also be responsible for developing new sites in Charing Cross and Croydon as well as Cambridge.

Fadi Malas, CEO of Just Falafel, said: “The UK is Just Falafel’s most dynamic market outside the Middle East, with queues regularly seen in our current, sought-after locations and hundreds of franchise requests coming in per week.

"The correct mix of human capital will enable Just Falafel to build on the promise we have shown in our first six months of operation in the UK, and Mike’s industry expertise and knowledge of this market as a dual UK-US citizen provides a robust management layer to our organization.”

Under Biggins’ leadership, Just Falafel plans to roll out 200 stores over the next 5 years across the UK and Ireland, and to elevate the Middle East’s humble vegetarian snack to a healthy, diverse range of dining options, with breakfast choices as well as Mexican, Indian, Japanese, and Italian varieties alongside the traditional falafel wrap.

Just Falafel opened in Abu Dhabi in 2007 and has since grown to more than 30 outlets in the Middle East, including the Gulf, Levant and North Africa as well as the UK. More than 50 new locations are currently in development, and more then 800 franchises sold.