By ; Mahmoud El Daba – Saber Mohamed
Emphasizing its expansion and diversification of its food for customers and Lebanese food lovers, Raya Restaurants, the leading company in the field of food industries and a subsidiary of Raya Holding Group for Financial Investments, announced the signing of a commercial franchise agreement in the Egyptian market with the leading Lebanese brand in the food and beverage sector, The Lebanese bakery (TLB), which is one of the most famous Lebanese bakeries, and whose first branch was launched in 2016. Its first branch in Cairo is scheduled to open next September to serve traditional Lebanese food including the famous Lebanese Manousheh and pastries.
The Cairo branch comes after the unparalleled success achieved by The Lebanese bakery (TLB) in Beirut, Bahrain and the British capital London. This restaurant provides a rich and delicious experience of eating the traditional Lebanese Manousheh and other famous Lebanese food. The new branch will be located in Cairo on an estimated area of 360 m2 divided into indoors and outdoors areas, and will include two floors to accommodate 75 Lebanese-food-loving guests at a time.
Karim Khalife, CEO of the restaurants sector at Raya Holding Group, expressed his happiness that The Lebanese bakery (TLB) has joined the Raya Restaurants Group, which “confirms [their] effective strategies towards achieving a distinguished position in the Egyptian market by providing a unique experience of traditional Lebanese food.” He noted: “our investment is close to 25 million Egyptian pounds in the six branches of The Lebanese bakery (TLB) in Egypt as the Cairo branch is the fifth worldwide and the first in Egypt.”
Mr. Khalife added that the restaurant will be equipped to the highest standards with the best types of fast-prepared Lebanese pastries, and a specialized oven representing The Lebanese bakery (TLB). The Lebanese restaurant’s main menu includes freshly baked Lebanese bread, and meals and salads with the well-known Lebanese flavour, along with Manousheh and pastries served directly from the masonry oven made of traditional basalt. The Lebanese cuisine is the most famous of all Middle Eastern cuisines; it is palatable to all nationalities, and has even become a favourite of the majority.
The Manousheh is one of the most popular foods in Beirut. It is made with soft dough and looks like pizza. The toppings include thyme, a variety of Lebanese cheeses famous for their fresh basil and pine seasoning, and other types of cheese.
