EXCLUSIVE: BinHendi to launch original F&B outlets

UAE giant BinHendi Enterprises will further expand its home-grown F&B concept portfolio later this year, with the launch of three new original brands.

In an exclusive interview with Caterer Middle East, the group’s president, Mohi-Din BinHendi, confirmed: “We have three new concepts on the way.

“One is called Takashi, one is Cakes and Bakes and one is a cafe concept, but we haven’t finalised the name for that one. They will all make an appearance this year."

Mr. BinHendi also revealed that the group was on the verge of franchising its own Japengo Café brand “regionally, locally and internationally”.

“We have completed the franchise concept which was done by the American company FRANCORP in Abu Dhabi. We have set up a very professional agreement and we’re ready to go with that,” he said.

“We’ll be franchising worldwide in many places: Cairo, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Singapore and elsewhere.”

Commenting on the company’s efforts to create its own franchisable brands rather than relying on western imports, Mr. BinHendi explained: “Although the western franchise system is a way ahead of us, we can be equally as good with time.

“Western brands have achieved great market success.

"Working with western brands is an effort to take market share in the F&B busines — but on the other side we are focusing on and developing our own brands as well, making our own ventures and really making our original concepts successful in the area.

“We are one of the pioneer companies who have many businesses including some great F&B concepts, and many companies have imitated that route," Mr. BinHendi continued.

“Money alone does not create successful food concepts — the statistic show worldwide that a lot of restaurants open almost 85% of them close down eventually and the success rate is around 15%.

"To sell food and to own restaurants need a special spirit of understanding of what food means."