“We partnered with Otter and started focusing on delivery in March. Since then, our orders and revenue have multiplied by 7.”

Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) is a Dubai-based holding company. Founded in 1982 as Alphamed General Trading LLC, the AKI group has grown at an increasing rate and now has a turnover of over US $1 Billion and more than 5000 employees. The company manages hundreds of international brands across the Middle East, including leading food and beverage brands like Burger Fuel, Il Caffe di Roma, and Nar.

We spoke to Faizan Ansar, responsible for all three brands' delivery operations, to learn how to run some of the most popular restaurant chains during the food delivery era. Read on to learn how Al Khayyat Investments’ restaurants Burger Fuel, Il Caffe di Roma, and Nar succeed in delivery with Otter.‍

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What wholesome burgers, Italian coffee, and authentic Lebanese cuisine have in common

“It used to get crazy during peak time. You have to take care of the dining guests while also dealing with delivery orders, and customers are not willing to wait.”

Al Khayyat Investments operates through autonomous business units led by specialists in their fields: Retail, Healthcare, Client concept, Fitness & Bowling, Contracting, Environmental services, Automotive, and Investments.

Sitting in the Retail division, Food and Beverages are one of the core areas of their business. The holding company manages top restaurant brands like Burger Fuel, a New Zealand burger joint; Il Caffe di Roma, a traditional-style coffee house; and Nar, an authentic Lebanese restaurant. “Although crowded, the Middle East market is more open than most to novel food and beverage concepts,” says their website. “This has helped us make rapid expansion in the category.”

Burger Fuel is the perfect example of a novel food concept. With the motto “Fuel for the human engine,” the New Zealand restaurant offers fresh, natural gourmet burgers. “At Burger Fuel, we don’t believe in additives or preservatives,” says AKI group’s Faizan. “We call it pure fuel, which means that we only use 100% pure ingredients”. As a Marketing expert, Faizan tells us that their branding also sets them apart from the competition: “There’s no need for formalities, we don’t believe in boring communications.”

Il Caffe di Roma and Nar have fresh takes as well. The coffee house is an outlet for the Lavazza range of coffees, “a relaxing and welcoming bar that represents the best tradition of a café as a meeting place.” On the other hand, Nar, founded by the AKI group, offers contemporary Lebanese cuisine with a twist.

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How Burger Fuel, Nar, and Il Caffe di Roma superpower their delivery business with Otter

“We are on six different delivery platforms. Instead of looking at five or six different tablets, with Otter, we only have to see one.”

Before learning about Otter, handling food delivery across three different brands was not easy for the AKI group. “It used to get crazy during peak time,” says Faizan. “You have to take care of the dining guests while also dealing with delivery orders, and customers are not willing to wait.”

The UAE is the second-largest market for online food delivery in the MENA region and, according to Statista, user penetration will surpass 30% this year. Food delivery services such as Talabat, Deliveroo, Zomato, and Careem are just a few of the ways to order a meal. Most restauranteurs aim to be on more than one delivery platform to increase their sales. But using more than one service means balancing orders, notifications, menus, and multiple tablets.

Otter’s Order Manager solution helps the AKI group restaurants consolidate their delivery services into a single tablet. Plus, our industry-leading dashboard allows them to create reports, analyse performance data, and discover deep insights that can inform their business decisions. “We are on six different delivery platforms,” says Faizan. “Instead of looking at five or six different tablets, with Otter, we only have to see one.”

Since partnering with Otter at the beginning of 2021, their orders and revenue have multiplied by 7. “We started focusing on delivery in March, and it has been a continuous growth. Every month, we have been getting more orders than the previous month”. Otter powers the delivery service of 4 Burger Fuel locations, 2 Il Caffe di Roma locations, and 3 Nar locations. Faizan says that the business is now more focused on delivery than dine-in customers.

Marketing has also been a considerable boost for the restaurants’ growth: “We are doing a lot of marketing and offers on delivery platforms”. Faizan reveals that it’s essential to create different strategies according to the restaurant. “We do separate offers or promotions on all Burger Fuel outlets; it even changes depending on the delivery platform”. They also rely on sponsored listings on delivery services to feature their business near the top of the apps and boost their visibility. “You have to think like your customers. Whatever your customers want; you have to give it to them”.

How to support Burger Fuel, Nar, and Il Caffe di Roma

If you are in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, you can support Burger Fuel, Nar, and Il Caffe di Roma by ordering food from any of their locations. We suggest ordering the C N Cheeseburger at Burger Fuel, iced coffee or breakfast from Il Caffe di Roma and grills from Nar.

IF YOU ARE A RESTAURANT LOOKING TO MANAGE AND OPTIMISE YOUR DELIVERY BUSINESS,  FILL IN THE FORM BELOW AND WE WILL CONTACT YOU FOR MORE INFORMATION.