Zooba sells taamiya, not falafel. When Chris Khalifa launched Zooba in 2012, the goal was to elevate Egyptian street food from cheap, delicious, everyday sustenance to a global brand. By 2020, Zooba’s value proposition had already shaped a loyal following at home and abroad with branches in Egypt, a franchise agreement in the GCC, and a New York outpost — opened just before covid-19 hit. 

Chris talks to us about what it takes to change people’s perception on how much street food should cost through the power of a strong brand. We discuss introducing new food to foreign markets, teaching Westerners how to say Taamiya, and how Zooba survives economic crises.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for free https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out Zooba here: www.zoobaeats.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.