Binalot expands in UAE market
Pinoy fast food player “Binalot” continues to expand in the Middle East with the grant of new franchises for new outlets in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to further cater to overseas Filipino workers in these states.
Binalot President Rommel Juan said the prospects look so good in the Middle East after visiting the new sites.
“One outlet will be in Abu Dhabi and the other one will be in Sharjah. Both outlets set to open in the second quarter of 2017 are situated where there are many Filipino communities,” said Juan.
The new Binalot is located inside the Little Manila Food Court, a cluster of Pinoy restaurants conceptualized by the Al Ahli Group, the territorial franchisee of Binalot in Dubai.
It is a themed restaurant, which features top Filipino fastfood brands under one roof.
Filipinos account for about 30 percent of the work force in Dubai, totaling to about 500,000 OFWs in Dubai alone and up to 1,000,000 in the whole of the UAE.
“Official statistics from the Philippine embassy indicate that there could be more because of some undocumented OFWs in the UAE. That in itself is a very potent market base with spending power. It is no wonder then that Binalot has experienced tremendous success with Little Manila for its first outlet in Deira,” said Juan.
This very first Binalot outlet in Little Manila is situated in a 1,000 sqm area that boasts of many Filipino products and brands.
After barely two years of operations, it has grown to be the favorite gathering place for Filipinos in the area, especially on weekends.
A study commissioned by the Al Ahli Group revealed that eight out of ten Filipino OFWs (or a high 84%) in the UAE are frequent diners and eat out about four times a week, a proof of their rising affluence in the country.
Only five percent eat out twice a month while the remaining 11 percent dine out once a month.
The better news is that they are all longing for their favorite homegrown food brands.
Dinner is the favorite meal of the day with 51 percent of respondents saying they eat out in the evening; 29 percent prefer lunch-outs; and 20 percent opt to have breakfast outside their homes, the survey said.
It also estimated that on the average, a Filipino spends about AED30 to AED35 (R408.50 to R476.50) per person. A rank and file OFW receives a salary of about AED2,000 to AED3,000 per month (R27,229 to R40,843), about 70 to 80 percent of which they send home to their family in the Philippines.
Little Manila GM Naqvi Parvez said that with the opening of our new food courts soon, “We hope to further fortify our position in the UAE as a dominant Filipino food player that will take advantage of the huge Filipino market in the UAE.”