To ensure necessary support is provided to F&B businesses, Deliveroo, alongside 6 other UAE companies have partnered with The Catalyst of Growth to bring to Dubai some of Lebanon’s most loved homegrown concepts in March 2021.
The tragic explosion that shook Lebanon in August 2020 disrupted the lives of citizens overnight. Despite an outpour of support from across the region, the road to recovery remains a long and difficult one. Homegrown F&B businesses that suffered first hand in Beirut are still working to get through this difficult period.
With this, they aim to not just facilitate the expansion of these concepts into a new market but also hopes to reunite Lebanese expats in the UAE with a taste of their Home in a Bite.
With a first batch going live exclusively on Deliveroo this week, more restaurants are expected to join in in the coming months.
The first batch of Lebanese home-grown concepts making their way to the UAE on Deliveroo will include: (alphabetical order)
- Casper & Gambini’s is an all-day restaurant café, providing international cuisine, all in good taste! We all have memories of escaping from classes & hiding at Casper. It is now available for Dubai residents to enjoy their great sandwiches, poke bowls & super fresh salads.
- Cuisine d’amour is a gourmet bakery located in Byblos – Lebanon, founded by Michele Khalife El Khoury, a passionate self-taught baker. She’s been on an exciting journey of creating the best cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, lava cake…that you can now taste in Dubai.
- Deli Co on the go, is a New York Style Deli, specializing in sandwiches, salads, burgers and more. When Chef Hussein Hadid is behind a concept, you know it is all about the freshness of the ingredients and his creative touch.
- Diet Center, 28 years after its conception and after roaring success in the region remains the leading weight loss company in Lebanon, offering consultations, medical care, catering, retail operations.
- Semsom started because of a taxi driver that didn’t know what Lebanese cuisine is! Since then, they’ve been on a journey to spread Lebanese food & culture. Their menu has traditional recipes, (done exactly like Teta Blanche used to do it!) and items with a twist, which is our generation trying different flavors! Their hummus series is a customer favorite.
- Tarator: A Lebanese fast food concept, bringing you great taste and quality to enjoy. All the sandwiches you would crave for: falafel, shawarma, and their famous broasted. Lebanese comfort food at its best!
- Tawlet: With a vision to celebrate food and traditions that unite communities and the culture of sustainable agriculture, Tawlet is a social business, where profit is generated to support farmers, cooks and producers. You will be tasting food from different ladies & different regions in Lebanon.
- Ummi on the go : A tribute to traditional home cooking and Lebanese staple dishes, UMMI brings customers the best from across the country in a homey-modern setting.
The launch of Home In A Bite will supply the UAE with loved flavours of the Levant while raising awareness of Lebanese brands that have suffered the past year due to circumstances out of their control.
The Home in a Bite project, under the leadership of The Catalyst of Growth, aims to:
- Support Lebanese F&B brands to scale outside of Lebanon
- Provide customers with more choice of Lebanese brands not available in the UAE
- Provide a new business model that could be replicated in different geographies
“I cannot wait for you to taste some of the most amazing food! Lebanese are artists in their own way, they take any type of cuisine and add their touch to turn it into magic. With this program, we will be supporting Lebanese Restaurant Brands that are going through very difficult times, while providing you with awesome food! You will order the first time to support and you will be back for the food! Enjoy the taste from home & spread the word!” Christine Assouad; Founder of The Catalyst of Growth
Anis Harb, GM Deliveroo GCC said, “We are excited to facilitate the Home in a Bite project and give Lebanese concepts a platform and the support of our logistics to explore the UAE market. It is important to understand that support for Lebanon is an ongoing process and with this partnership we hope to continuously create new opportunities for restauranteurs to not just survive but also thrive in these challenging times.”