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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