Pickl is a chain of American-style fast food burger joints founded in the UAE in 2019.[1] As of September 2023, Pickl has 18 locations in the UAE[2][3] plus 2 franchised international restaurants in Bahrain, three in Egypt, and one in Qatar.[4] It says on the Pickl website that 'it focuses on "fresh fast food" using premium ingredients that are free from hormones, preservatives, or antibiotics.'[5]
 | |
 The first franchised international Pickl restaurant in Bahrain. | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 2019 in Dubai, UAE |
| Founder | Steve Flawith Nabil Al Rantisi |
Number of locations | 15 (September 2023) |
Area served | United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt |
| Products | Cheeseburgers, chicken sandos, milkshakes, fries |
| Website | eatpickl |
History
editEarly history
editThe first Pickl opened in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers community in April 2019 at the One JLT building.[6] The menu consists of cheeseburgers, chicken sandos, and plant-based burger options.[7]
Pickl was immediately popular, with Esquire Middle East calling it "one of the city's top burger joints".[8] It expanded quickly, with new stores opening in Motor City, Al Safa, and Madinat Badr.
Time Out Market
editIn April 2021, the brand was selected as one of Dubai's best homegrown brands and inducted into Time Out Market, alongside brands including Reif Kushiyaki, Mattar, Masti, and BB Social Dining.[9]
An/Other Pop-up
editPIckl opened a concept pop-up store in July 2021. Open for just one year, it was built around the concept of 100 Years of Burgers, with the menu changing every three months to introduce the next generation of historic burgers including ones based upon the Big Mac and In-N-Out's classic Double Double.[10]
Domestic and international expansion
editBy the end of 2021, Pickl has expanded to Abu Dhabi, opening its first store at Soul Beach, Mamsha, and following it up with a second in early 2022 at World Trade Centre.[11] Following the end of the An/Other pop-up, a full-scale Pickl restaurant was opened in City Walk, and by the end of 2022, the brand was in four Emirates with outlets opening in Sharjah and RAK in December.[12] In early 2023, Pickl made its first foray into the international market with the opening of a franchised outlet in Bahrain in partnership with Zayani Foods.[4] A second store followed later in the year in Juffair Square.[13]
Pickl launched in its third country in 2024 when it opened in Doha, Qatar.[14] This was another franchise partnership, this time with Golondrina Hospitality. A fourth international launch quickly followed with three restaurants opening simultaneously on the North Coast of Egypt in a franchise partnership with Sky Restaurants.[15]
Per Caterer Middle East,[16] Pickl plans to open 30 restaurants across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait with Sky Restaurants in the coming years.
Future plans
editGlobal ambitions
editThe brand has revealed ambitious plans to open 200 stores globally by 2027, including 50 in the GCC.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Dubai burger restaurant helps hungry customers out of a pickle". euronews. 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Lau, Evelyn (2022-12-27). "Burger chain Pickl to beef up UAE presence with Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah outposts". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Locations". Pickl. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ a b "DUBAI-BORN BURGER BRAND "PICKL" PARTNERS WITH ZAYANI FOODS TO OPEN FIRST INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE IN BAHRAIN". Hotel News ME. 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "About". Pickl. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "This new burger joint in JLT is what cheat meal dreams are made of". What's On. 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- ^ Thomas, Aby Sam (2023-02-17). "Entrepreneur | Pickl Founder Stephen Flawith's Bet On". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- ^ "Pickl Review: one of the city's top burger joints now does delivery".
- ^ "Pickl - Time Out Market Dubai".
- ^ "Pickl founder Steve Flawith on why limited-edition menus work".
- ^ "A pair of Pickl burger joints are opening in Abu Dhabi". What's On. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Lau, Evelyn (2022-12-27). "Burger chain Pickl to beef up UAE presence with Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah outposts". The National. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Bahrain: Burger restaurant Pickl opens in Juffair Square". 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Pickl in Doha: Award-winning burger joint Pickl opens in Doha | Time Out Doha". 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Done deal: 30 new Pickl branches to open across the region - Caterer Middle East". 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Dubai-based Pickl reveals mouth-watering global expansion plans".