After greater than 20 years within the trade, restaurant pioneer Walid Hajj took on a brand new problem and co-founded the brand new group Lavoya in 2021. His begin has been one thing to behold.
Prior to now 12 months alone, Walid has launched three massively in style franchises: Joe & The Juice, Dave’s Sizzling Rooster and Barbar and has proved as soon as extra what a savvy operator he’s, repeatedly in search of methods to innovate and cater to growing market calls for.
Lavoya’s most up-to-date launch, Joe & The Juice, has already cemented itself within the UAE eating scene, with the primary two shops in Dubai rocketing to the highest of the worldwide places, forward of cities resembling London, New York, and Paris.
Dave’s Sizzling Rooster, the LA-born road meals sensation, backed by celebrities Drake and Samuel Jackson additionally broke a world gross sales file within the first week of operation in each Dubai and Qatar openings.
Barbar was already an icon in Lebanon when it launched in Dubai and Riyadh, with a 45-year historical past to attract upon. Now, the Hessa Avenue flagship retailer and the outlet in Riyadh’s Tahlia Avenue, rank as the highest two within the Barbar’s franchise, whereas the just lately opened Doha department can also be making waves with the World Cup guests.
Earlier than establishing Lavoya, Hajj based Cravia, one of many GCC’s main meals and hospitality teams that introduced world-class franchises to the Center East, together with Zaatar W Zeit, Seattle’s Greatest Espresso, Cinnabon, in addition to 5 Guys in Saudi Arabia. Because of his astute imaginative and prescient and management, 5 Guys in Saudi Arabia presently outperforms all of the model’s international counterparts in gross sales and income.
Right now, the corporate’s portfolio consists of over 100 franchised eating places throughout the Arab-speaking world, using greater than 3,000 people.
From model negotiation to attaining operational excellence, Hajj strategically directed the expansion story of Cravia, from inception to its circa US$200 million acquisition in 2016.
The restaurateur possesses an intrinsic sense of the components for achievement. He’s selective in regards to the tasks he takes on and adopts a full-throttle strategy in every little thing he does, mirrored by his manufacturers’ constant and exponential progress. He’s capable of construct a loyal buyer base with unbelievable ease, stemming from his acute understanding of what works, with a reliable talent set comprising smart location identification, savvy worth strategising and artistic workforce administration.
In 2023, Hajj plans to proceed rising Lavoya Group. In three months, the group has grown from one retailer to 12 eating places throughout three manufacturers and three markets. Lavoya will finish the 12 months with 14 places and can double that by the top of 2023. The corporate goals to be a 100-store operation by the top of 2024.