In this episode, Ashish Tulsian speaks with Nasser Al Messabi, CEO of Low Calories, a fast-growing healthy restaurant brand from the UAE. Nasser shares how he went from 18 years in the UAE Police to launching a health-food concept at a time when almost no one was doing it, the failures and land deals that taught him hard lessons, and why he ultimately resigned seven years before a secure government pension to go “all in” on his brand. He also discusses scaling to multiple countries through franchising, navigating trends like Ozempic and Mounjaro, and why treating employees like family sits at the core of his success. 

Nasser opens up about how police life shaped his discipline and decision-making and what he had to unlearn to become a flexible, people-first entrepreneur. He talks candidly about money, responsibility, and why he believes God tests founders by what they do with success.

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Mohammad Al Madani, Chairman of the Al Madani Group, to explore his journey. Growing up inside his father’s tailoring shop in the 1940s, Al Madani learned customer service the traditional way, by watching his father stitch kanduras for Dubai’s earliest rulers, business families, and community leaders. These lessons in humility, discipline, and genuine hospitality shaped the foundation of his business philosophy.

From running one of the UAE’s most iconic tailoring brands to opening 40 retail stores and eventually building a 50+ store restaurant portfolio with Charley’s Philly Steaks, his career reflects constant reinvention. In this conversation, he shares the realities of entering F&B without prior experience, why his first standalone restaurant failed, what most franchisees get wrong, and how to choose locations that actually work.

He also talks about staying relevant for Gen Z, bringing new global concepts into the GCC, and why people, not systems, drive long-term success. Packed with practical lessons and timeless wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone in restaurants, franchising, or entrepreneurship.

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Mohammad Al Madani- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with CEO Pauline Ibrahim to explore her remarkable journey from a finance analyst in Lebanon to leading some of the most respected F&B brands in the Middle East. Pauline shares how moving to Dubai ignited her passion for the restaurant industry, why Azadea became her “F&B school,” and how jumping into the startup world with iKcon became her real-life PhD in growth, risk, and resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She breaks down what a healthy restaurant P&L truly looks like, why cloud kitchens struggle with sustainable profitability, and the real economics behind food cost, rent, labor, and delivery commissions. 

From cautionary advice for anyone planning to open a restaurant in Dubai to her views on authenticity and women in leadership, this conversation is packed with hard truths every operator should hear.

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with CEO Pauline Ibrahim to explore her remarkable journey from a finance analyst in Lebanon to leading some of the most respected F&B brands in the Middle East. Pauline shares how moving to Dubai ignited her passion for the restaurant industry, why Azadea became her “F&B school,” and how jumping into the startup world with iKcon became her real-life PhD in growth, risk, and resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She breaks down what a healthy restaurant P&L truly looks like, why cloud kitchens struggle with sustainable profitability, and the real economics behind food cost, rent, labor, and delivery commissions. 

From cautionary advice for anyone planning to open a restaurant in Dubai to her views on authenticity and women in leadership, this conversation is packed with hard truths every operator should hear.

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Pauline Ibrahim- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Abdulrhman Almobarak, founder and chairman of Maqloba, the Saudi brand reinventing rice for the QSR world.

Abdulrhman shares how an engineer working in a top hospital saw a simple gap: rice is the main dish in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, yet there was no global rice brand, and even locally, it wasn’t convenient to eat at work. That insight led to Maqloba’s signature “flip” box, turning a traditional rice dish into a modern, desk-friendly experience.

He talks about taking a bank loan, testing Maqloba while still employed, the queues outside his first store, and the moment he decided to quit and go all-in. Abdulrhman also explains why, despite having 12 successful company-owned outlets, he refuses to rush into franchising, given how difficult it is to standardize basmati rice.

The conversation delves into his leadership philosophy, sharing insights with early team members, adapting to Gen Z’s trend-driven behavior, managing phone addiction, and Maqloba’s role in Saudi Arabia’s evolving food scene under Vision 2030.

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Abdulrhman Khalid Almobarak- LinkedIn 

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In this Restrocast episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Jil Assaf, COO at Shawarmer, to trace a career built on grit and reinvention. Jil recalls launching a teenage snack counter in a Beirut billiards hall, the Lebanese hustle shaped by instability, and operating across the Middle East. 

He describes building the hospitality arm of Qatar’s Pearl Island, why a policy shift forced an exit, and how founding a 15-country consulting firm led to burnout, a reset in Saudi, and a renewed focus on health and purpose.

Jil shares the Burj Al Hamam turnaround, from low tech to digital and profitable even through COVID, then his venture at Shawarmer in 2021 as the brand crossed 120 stores. Planned international expansion paused while he rebuilt the operating system, strengthened unit economics, and prepared for IPO. He unpacks tripling profits through a detailed, sequenced plan, quick wins that fund long-term change, and leadership buy-in.

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Jil Assaf- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Alexandre Bachir, Managing Director of Bachir Ice Cream Middle East, the man leading the third generation of the iconic Lebanese family brand that has thrived for nearly 90 years. 

Alexandre shares how the business, founded in 1936 by his grandfather and great-uncle in a small village in Lebanon, grew from a local shop to an international name loved in Lebanon, France, Brazil, and the UAE.

He opens up about the challenges of modernizing a family legacy, bridging generational mindsets, introducing franchising, and adapting to modern marketing without losing the brand's soul. 

From learning to “change himself before changing others” to creating new market-specific flavors like date and lemon mint, Alexandre reflects on leadership, humility, and innovation.

Tune in to see how Alexandre Bachir is carrying a 90-year family legacy into the future, one scoop, one generation at a time.

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Alexandre Bachir- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Filippo Sgattoni, CEO of Alamar Group, the master franchisee for Domino’s and Dunkin’ across the Middle East, to explore his remarkable journey from finance to food leadership. Filippo shares how his years at Autogrill shaped his understanding of global operations, cultural intelligence, and the art of balancing numbers with intuition.

He opens up about adapting to Saudi Arabia’s evolving market, leading a family-founded company through an IPO, and modernizing legacy brands for new generations. From introducing localized innovations like the “dates pizza” to experimenting with food trucks and engaging Gen Z through eSports and female empowerment, Filippo reveals how Alamar is redefining fast food for the future.

This episode dives deep into leadership, mindset, and reinvention, showing how curiosity, adaptability, and self-awareness can turn a finance professional into the visionary behind one of the region’s most successful restaurant groups.

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Filippo Sgattoni- LinkedIn 

In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Sherif M., Managing Director at Olayan Group, to unpack his extraordinary 30-year journey shaping some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands from Wimpy and KFC at Americana to Burger King, Texas Chicken, and Buffalo Wild Wings today.

Sherif shares powerful lessons from 25 transformative years at Americana, where a people-first culture, with employees prioritized above shareholders, has built a fiercely loyal workforce and achieved industry-leading success. He opens up about leadership philosophies, scaling compassion across 40,000+ employees, and why “do right by people and run the business with discipline” remains his guiding principle.

The conversation dives deep into the future of the food industry, from winning over Gen Z and Gen Alpha through gaming, delivery, and localized menus to balancing empathy with execution in a fast-changing world. Along the way, Sherif reveals personal stories, leadership insights, and bold ideas that continue to shape the next era of global restaurant brands.

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Sherif M. EL Sherif- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Amjad Barakat, CEO, Brunch & Cake. He went from being $3 million in debt at age 18 to building one of the region’s most popular café brands. He started by helping out in his family’s luxury fashion business on weekends, eventually saving it by the time he was 24. By 27, he had launched a real estate company and then moved to Dubai to explore new opportunities.

After gaining experience through consulting and partnerships in Saudi Arabia (including Shaziz), a failed food truck venture pushed him to start over again. This led to Bespoke Trailers and, during COVID, a bold move to acquire 51% of a modular construction company called BMS, which now has a large factory and around 500 employees.

The idea for Brunch & Cake came from a trip to Barcelona, where Amjad was inspired by the creative food presentation. A quick handshake deal with the founder brought the brand to Dubai, where it became an instant hit with long queues and fast table turnover. During COVID, Amjad took a big step and acquired the brand globally in 2021.

Today, Brunch & Cake has 28 stores open and 32 more signed. The brand runs on a strong franchise model with weekly mystery diners and a unique “Grandma Score” to measure quality. He’s also launched a new counter-service brand called Olas. Amjad talks about becoming more thoughtful and less emotional in business, the importance of adapting to local cultures, and how Japan taught him to “do it right the first time.”

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Amjad Barakat- LinkedIn 

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