Imad Khairallah, CEO of Kitchen Confidential, has worn multiple professional hats worldwide, transitioning from manager to consultant. Despite his global ventures, Beirut remains his constant base. In this interview, he elaborates on the strategies employed to successfully expand to the UAE amid the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Can you tell us more about your new opening?
“We strategically divided our business into two pivotal divisions: the large-scale manufacturing and distribution arm, and the restaurant business. For manufacturing, we established a joint venture factory in Dubai with a prominent local group, distributing to the GCC market under the brand ‘Recipe number 7.’ Simultaneously, in the restaurant sector under the Kitchen Confidential name, we are initiating cloud kitchens for online delivery. Our future plans involve expanding to brick-and-mortar restaurants, either independently or through franchisees.”
Why did you decide to open in UAE?
“The UAE, especially Dubai, serves as a Middle East hub with significant global brand equity, facilitating smoother business operations. Given the well-established partnerships in Dubai, it was a natural choice for our expansion.”
What challenges are you facing?
“Like many businesses, COVID-19 disrupted our plans by a minimum of six months. Airport closures and travel complexities hampered knowledge transfer between our R&D center in Beirut and our new headquarters in Dubai.”
Do you have any future expansion plans?
“We have comprehensive expansion plans on multiple fronts: a new product launch, introduction of new sub-concepts, and geographical expansion into a European city, details of which will unfold post-pandemic.”
