Dubai: Falafel balls made from chickpeas and served in unleavened bread are enjoying a huge revival, and a local firm intends to serve more outlets to feed into demand.
Just Falafel, the operator which opened its first eatery in Abu Dhabi in 2007, plans to have as many as 15 before year-end to meet the craving for the nutritious fritter.
"In 2010, we sold one million falafels. This year we expect to sell three times that," said Mohammad Bitar, chief executive officer and managing partner.
With queues not uncommon at the outlets, such as its highly popular Al Barsha location behind Mall of the Emirates, demand appears to be going nowhere but up, the Lebanese national said.
This has prompted Just Falafel to plough its return on investment into a new headquarters located in Dubai Investment Park where dozens of staff will man the office as well as train at a training facility and central kitchen.
Hiring season
"We're hiring like crazy," Bitar said, noting that staff will be needed over the next two years to meet the target of 25 new Just Falafel outlets.
Bitar said part of the success of the firm was learning how to operate efficiently in 2007 and maintain a strong business sense through the economic downturn.
Just Falafel used the downturn to the fledgling company's advantage.
"When we opened, we had no branding whatsoever," Bitar said.
"We invested quite a lot of money. When the crash happened, we thought that now is the time to start."
Real estate was less expensive and it was easier to secure locations for new stores, he said, because malls were eager to sign deals at the time.
During good times, Bitar said, "it can take up to two years to get into a mall. Still, the biggest challenge is to find good locations."
Just Falafel has five outlets now, two in Abu Dhabi and three in Dubai.
"We just signed for a food franchise in Ibn Battuta mall and for another four franchises. One of those will be in Dubai Internet City."
Just Falafel is selling franchises for Dh60,000, and investment needed to open a new franchised eatery is about Dh500,000, Bitar said.
The high cost of launching a new Just Falafel eatery isn't discouraging investors, Bitar said, judging by the daily enquiries.
"We're getting 10 to 15 inquiries a day on our website — it's very exciting."
Bitar attributed the sudden rise in popularity of the chain to the quality of the food and the fact that it's healthy, which gives consumers an alternative to foods that are high in fat.
"The one thing that hasn't changed is the quality of food we have to offer," he added. "The nice thing about the falafel is that we don't have as much competition. People are conscious of what they eat."
Vegetarian appeal
Just Falafel has also created other offerings on the menu in keeping with the healthy food mission it has taken on for itself. An American vegetarian burger is proving to be a solid favourite among Just Falafel customers, Bitar said.
"We're now committed to making the biggest falafel chain in the world — this is a UAE brand and we are now going global," he added.
One of the keys to the push to spread Just Falafel across the region and beyond is the wide selection in the menu which includes falafel variations extending from the UAE and Japan to Italy and Mexico.
