DUBAI: Lebanese restaurant chain Barbar is coming to the Kingdom.

It follows a tie up with Kitch, the region’s first hybrid, delivery-focused, cloud kitchen which will see the chain expand across the region.

Following the franchise agreement with Kitch, the first Barbar restaurant in the GCC will open in Dubai to be followed by further expansion in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Eight restaurants and cloud kitchens will be opened in the UAE, and 20 of them will be opened in Saudi Arabia, four of which will start operating in Riyadh in the second quarter of this year, Kitch said.

Mohammad Ghaziri launched Barbar in 1979 as a small ‘Manouche’ bakery in front of the famous Piccadilly theater in the heart of Beirut.

It quickly gained fame for its manouchés and was visited by singers, artists, and celebrities who performed at the theater.

“As part of our franchise agreement, we will be serving the world-class offerings and the delectable menu of Barbar through our premium store-front facilities and cloud-kitchens in the region,” said Walid Hajj, co-founder and CEO of Kitch.

Kitch plans to open four delivery kitchens in Riyadh in the second quarter of this year and additional 15 kitchens across the GCC by the end of 2021.

Kitch was co-founded by F&B expert Walid Hajj and Saudi entrepreneur, Fahad Alhokair.