MAKING A CASE

Hospitalty News examines the success of franchising with promising strategies and instructive life lessons from top entrepreneurs

Co-founder, Fig Holding

How did you contribute to making Armenian cuisine more marketable, in Lebanon and in the region? Mayrig was the first traditional Armenian restaurant to open in Lebanon and in the region. We had to conquer the market and make Lebanese food lovers aware of the richness and variety of Armenian cuisine. When we started, the only thing people knew of Armenian food was soujouk and basterma (spicy sausages and cured meat). It was our mission to share the delicate flavors of our spices, the different textures of carefully prepared handcrafted bites, all these tastes had to be acquired. From our side, we adapted many dishes to be integrated into a mezze-style menu and worked hard on the presentation of the food, elaborating and innovating our menu throughout the years. We carefully select and train our staff to guide our clients through the menu, to incite them to try new dishes to step outside the trodden path so that every visit to Mayrig becomes a small adventure for the taste-buds. Last month we were finally able to import an excellent Armenian wine to pair with the food and in our boutique we now also offer very fine products from Armenia, such as honey, jams and herbs. Making Armenian food marketable means teaching our clients something new at every visit.