Top 10 Middle Eastern chains drive up to 22% of global revenues in 2025
Kuwait-based Alshaya Group is the largest franchise operator in the region.
The top 10 chain operators in the Middle Eastern restaurant segment account for an estimated 18% to 22% of global chain revenues in 2025, according to Market Intelo.
Alshaya Group, based in Kuwait, is the largest franchise operator in the region, running a wide portfolio of food and beverage (F&B) brands across more than 15 GCC and international markets.
Its workforce exceeds 50,000 across retail and F&B operations, giving it structural advantages in sourcing, real estate access, and marketing reach.
Saudi-based Al Baik operates over 200 outlets, mostly domestically. The report noted that the company functions as a highly entrenched quick-service brand with strong repeat customer demand.
Lebanon-origin Zaatar w Zeit operates in more than 10 countries, including across the Gulf, positioning itself as a higher-end fast-casual chain focused on Lebanese breakfast and all-day meals.
Al Tazaj, also from Saudi Arabia, runs over 120 locations specialising in grilled chicken and traditional sides and is amongst the country’s most established halal quick-service chains.
UAE-founded Just Falafel has expanded internationally through franchising, entering markets such as the UK, US, India, and parts of Southeast Asia with a plant-forward Middle Eastern fast-casual format.
In North America, Shawarma Press has expanded to more than 80 franchise locations across the US and Canada, using a customisable shawarma model similar in structure to Western build-your-own concepts.
The Halal Guys, which began as a New York street cart, now operates more than 100 locations across multiple regions, demonstrating the scalability of street-food formats into franchised fast-casual chains.
Mamoun’s Falafel, one of the oldest Middle Eastern restaurant chains in the US, continues to grow primarily on the East Coast, leveraging its long-standing brand recognition.
Turkish-origin concepts Simit Sarayi and Mado Cafe maintain large international footprints, especially in Europe and the Gulf, focused on bakery-café and dessert offerings.
Dubai-based Operation: Falafel and Man’oushe Street target younger urban consumers with fast-casual branding and social media-driven presentation styles.
Nando’s, though not a Middle Eastern brand, overlaps with the category through its peri-peri chicken format, widespread halal offerings in several markets, and presence in the GCC alongside Middle Eastern competitors.
Its performance highlights competitive pressure from similar halal grilled-chicken chains.
Looking ahead, the report states that the sector is expected to become more consolidated as fast-casual brands expand further in North America and Europe, delivery platforms intensify competition, and larger operators gain share through scale advantages.
Market structure is also likely to shift through mergers, acquisitions, and private equity roll-ups of smaller chains, gradually increasing concentration within the branded segment through 2034.
