Really enjoyed this conversation with Bassem Johar who is a dear friend of mine & the founder of Cali Poke, a QSR concept based in the UAE which does over 1,000 orders per day from 9 locations. 

This conversation dives into a bit of the history of Cali Poke, How Bassem started the business, how he views the restaurant industry in general & some key tips on how he plans to build & scale his brand into the future. 

0:00 - Introduction
0:32 - Challenges of operating in the F&B industry
2:49 - Importance of logistics and supply chain management
5:21 - Complexity of running a restaurant business
6:47 - Need for in-depth marketing skills
8:11 - Dealing with unexpected expenses and maintenance issues
9:41 - Hands-on approach to fit-outs and cost reduction
12:15 - Personal example of hands-on involvement in construction
15:30 - Benefits and flexibility of standalone structures
17:26 - Pitfalls of building out shell and core locations
19:32 - Lessons learned from a specific location in Al Barari
22:06 - The significance of consistency in customer satisfaction
24:12 - Managing customer expectations and quality control
27:19 - Balancing cost and quality in ingredient sourcing
30:23 - Factors influencing the cost of opening a restaurant in Dubai
32:52 - Importance of understanding your budget and options
35:25 - Maintaining a high rating on aggregators like Deliveroo
38:08 - Importance of consistency in all aspects of the business
40:01 - Addressing customer criticism on aggregator platforms

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Bassem Johar!