Submitted by basem — Wed, 10/22/2008 - 15:00
An Egyptian Coffee in London
In a marketing move designed to outmaneuver its local competitors, the nation’s flagship coffee chain Cilantro takes its brand global
By Ali El Bahnasawy
Business Today Egypt - October 2008
Read More:
http://www.businesstodayegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8209
Latté, sadah or soda?
A café can be very much more than just a place to drink, says Dina Ezzat, who gets a taste of Egypt's coffee-shop culture.
On the pavement of the Al-Qahwa Al-Thaqafiya, a café off Bab Al-Louq Square in downtown Cairo, Mohamed Abdel-Aziz sits comfortably in his favourite café as if he were in his second home. He looks as if he is resting in his living room, as Ashour, the café's 60-year-old waiter, comes to say "Good Morning" -- which sounds a little odd as it is two in the afternoon.
Ashour is soon back with a tray, from which he serves Abdel-Aziz, who has not placed an order, with a cup of tea with milk and a glass of water. Ten minutes later, he is back with a small package brought over by a younger waiter. He hands it to Abdel-Aziz, who unwraps it and starts eating his sandwiches. Half an hour later, Ashour is back at Abdel-Aziz's table, this time with a small glass of Turkish coffee and a tall glass of very cold water.
Read More:
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/964/feature.htm
From Egypt to the World: Bon Appétit
Living in a global world is not seen as a threat by the Egyptian food and beverage industry, but rather as an opportunity to learn, develop and expand internationally
By Osama Diab
Business Today Egypt - April 2009
Cook Door and Mo’men, established in the late 1980s, are now among the biggest fast food chains in the nation, offering fast meals and sandwiches that relate more to the Egyptian norms, such as kofta, liver and shish tawook. Local fast food chains began to grow rapidly in the 1990s. Not restricted by a standard international menu, Egyptian fast food chains were better equipped to accommodate local tastes, making them competitive with established, experienced, international brands. Despite this, since the 1970s Egypt has primarily been an importer of international brands. The nation was then seen by multinational giants as a virgin market with great potential for growth. While foreign brands were booming, Egyptian brands lacked the reputation and resources needed to compete with the well-known international names. You can also add to that the “khawaga complex,” a notion reflecting Egyptians’ obsession with all things foreign, and the perception that all local products are inferior to goods produced abroad.
Read More:
http://www.businesstodayegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8417
INTERVIEW: McDonald’s Alaa Fathy on making fast food in Egypt
By Alex Dziadosz
CAIRO: Across the Atlantic, fast food companies — or, in the industry’s preferred jargon, “quick service restaurants” — have been among the few to find an upside to the global recession. Quarter-pounders and French fries fit into slimmer budgets better than filet mignon, for instance, and those in the industry are eager to point this out.
Here, however, things are a bit different. There is no immediate threat of recession, although economic growth is shrinking fast. And when it comes to fast food, Hardee’s and Papa John’s are hardly the cheapest options on streets packed with koshari and fuul vendors.
The assistant general manager of McDonald’s Egypt, Alaa Fathy, met with Daily News Egypt this week to talk about the up and downsides of making fast food in Egypt, including inflation, the effects of the intifadas on hamburger sales and the trouble with making McKoshari.
Read More:
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=20730