“The popularity of this particular cuisine in Egypt is quite timeless and it will always attract a
high number of fans,” said Mido.
Walking through the posh Hassan Sadek Street, one golden door is set to interrupt your journey
and demand instant attention. The massive golden doors only open to lead into the haven of
Lebanese delicacies and endless oriental details.
After years of having each others’ backs in the field, few renowned athletes decided to create
their own comfort zone outside football arenas. “We have always been friends and we wanted
to start a Lebanese restaurant because we all love Lebanese food and we truly believe that we
share this with the majority of Egyptians,” said Ahmed Hassan Mido, renowned football player
and coach.
Hazem Emam, Mohamed Youssef, Samir Gouda, Hisham Rashad, Mohamed Shousha, and
Ahmed Hassan Mido have been friends for years. Therefore, the moment the slightest idea of a
joint project came up, they could not find any better company. Faraya is a manifestation of the
group’s deep appreciation for the tasteful guilty-pleasure, Lebanese food.
“We aimed to establish a place where we can meet and hang out in a comfortable space; we
took care of each and every detail in order to reach the quality we wanted to see in our own
meeting space,” said Mido.
Being a group of athletics that have built a career on mastering their game, the founders do not
care about anything but perfecting each and every detail involved in the process. From the chefs
to the ingredients, music and even the interior décor; everything in the restaurant is a delicious
glimpse of the city of Faraya.
“It is a Lebanese city famous for its skiing spaces. It is also known for its significant cottage
houses and vintage Lebanese houses that has iconic wooden structures. We wanted our interior
décor to be based on Faraya’s houses; yet, we were concerned that vintage wooden décor
might bore our clients. As an alternative, we modernized the city’s iconic architecture; we
maintained the graphic floors, the cottages’ metal windows, and characteristic bar,” said Mido.
According to the founders, the cuisine’s specialty was never a matter of question; not only
because they personally preferred it; but, also due to the increasing local demand.
“The popularity of this particular cuisine in Egypt is quite timeless and it will always attract a
high number of fans,” said Mido.
With that being said, all of the surrounding factors are only a fraction of the experience. Faraya’s
food is the true star of the show due to the diverse and precise details that are put into it. As a
result of the highly-specialized team of cooks and imported ingredients, each and every dish can
literally give you mental images of Lebanon’s mountains.
“Our head chef, Mayssam Abd El-Khalek, has an extended CV specialized in Lebanese cuisine, he
worked for Four Seasons Lebanon plus few other local restaurants. In order to get the needed
taste and high quality of details we had to hire a Lebanese cook; meantime, we have another
three Syrian chefs. The rest of our cooks are Egyptians with extended experience in Lebanese
and Syrian restaurants,” said Mido.
This team of experts cooks and bakes everything in house; something that redefines the concept
of “served with love”. According to one of the chefs, the simplest plates take hours of
preparations. For example, the Humus alone takes the average of 9 hours in order to be
prepared and served.
A side from the authentic dishes, the eatery also offers innovative plates that create a delicious
link between the two countries. “Our restaurant reinterprets the cuisine with a slight twist, for
example we have created couple of cross-cuisine plates that introduce Lebanese tagines with
Egyptian spices. Our Fata menu is also attracting lots of attention; we have liver Fata, Sujuk Fata,
seafood Fata, Chicken Fata, among others,” said Mido.
Only few months after their grand opening last May, Faraya has already become the leader of its
category in terms of quality and popularity. Conversely, the management had to spread its
magic and reach out to taste buds everywhere across the country.
The mouth-watering invasion is set to start with a fast delivery service that offers a simplified
menu. “The Lebanese cuisine is highly sophisticated with different courses and salads; therefore,
we created a much simpler menu that could be packed and delivered easier. Instead of our mix-
grilled plate that comes in an individual portion, we deliver it in kilos. We also have sandwiches
that are much easier to take away,” said Mido.
Meanwhile, the restaurant is also set to become a major local chain within the coming months.
After an extensive market research, the founders have reached the conclusion of expanding in
6th October City. “We will be opening in Mall of Arabia next December; the mall has an
outstanding traffic and the area represents a huge market.” Mido added “We also have 5th
settlement, Maadi and Alexandria on our list of future expansions; but, we do not want to rush
any progress.”