Restrocast

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.

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

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.

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

Abdulrhman Khalid Almobarak- LinkedIn 

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Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO of Restroworks, welcomes Jil Assaf, COO at Shawarmer, to Restrocast to trace a career built on grit and reinvention across multi-location restaurant operations. 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.


Find us online: 
Ashish Tulsian- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtulsian/
Jil Assaf- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilassaf/

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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.

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

Alexandre Bachir- LinkedIn 

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Restrocast host Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO of Restroworks, talks with Filippo Sgattoni, CEO of Alamar Group, the master franchisee for Domino's and Dunkin' across the Middle East. Filippo shares how his years at Autogrill shaped his understanding of multi-location restaurant 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.


Find us online: 
Ashish Tulsian- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtulsian/
Filippo Sgattoni- https://www.linkedin.com/in/filippo-sgattoni-971744b/

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Sherif M. EL Sherif, Managing Director at Olayan Group, stops by Restrocast for a conversation with host Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO of Restroworks, about his 30-year career shaping some of the world's most recognized multi-brand restaurant operations, 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 localised 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.

Find us online: 
Ashish Tulsian- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtulsian/
Sherif M. EL Sherif- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherif-m-el-sherif-156a99127/?originalSubdomain=sa

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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.”

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

Amjad Barakat- LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Omar Shihab, founder of BOCA Dubai, takes us inside his journey of rethinking what a restaurant can stand for in a city known for rapid growth and high consumption. He shares the early shocks of entering the industry, from franchise struggles to the daily unpredictability of operations, and how those lessons shaped his people-first leadership style. Omar explains why integrity, transparency, and sustainability became BOCA’s guiding principles, leading to recognition with a Michelin Green Star. 

Omar focuses on using local ingredients in Dubai, treating staff well, and building a strong, self-reliant restaurant. He avoids fast trends and proves that sustainability is possible. BOCA is now a leading example of responsible homegrown hospitality in the UAE.

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

Omar Shihab- LinkedIn 

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In this episode of Restrocast, British restaurateur Jasper Reid, Founder & CEO, International Market Management, shares his journey of building global food brands in India’s tough and competitive market. He talks about how he brought Pizza Express to India, beat Reliance to land Jamie Oliver’s brand, and convinced Wendy’s U.S. CEO to launch a ₹29 burger in India.

Reid explains that high rents in India can take up 20% of sales, why menus should be based on data and kept under 30 items, and long-term success comes from patient investment and strong team culture, not flashy food trends. His three key rules for surviving in India’s food business are: do not hesitate, explore the country, and invest wisely. He also hints at his next project. a ₹100 Desi diner focused on process and people.

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian- LinkedIn 

Jasper Reid- LinkedIn 

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On Restrocast, Ashish Tulsian (Co-founder and CEO, Restroworks) is joined by Chris Demery, CTO of Blaze Pizza, who shares his path from the U.S. military to leading restaurant tech across multi-location brands including Domino's, Bloomin' Brands, PF Chang's, and Blaze Pizza. Chris discusses how his military background shaped his leadership style and why listening to frontline teams is what makes restaurant tech actually work.

From building Domino's Pulse and the Pizza Tracker to rolling out Blaze's new POS system, Chris reveals the real challenges behind scaling restaurant operations. He discusses the myth that making pizza is easy, the importance of operational architecture, and why most tech fails without operator buy-in. Chris also dives into his concept of "Heightened Time Awareness" using AI to deliver real-time insights without disrupting restaurant flow.

Find us online: 
Ashish Tulsian- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtulsian/
Chris Demery- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-demery-25b102307/

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