Breaking baladi bread with Zooba CEO Chris Khalifa
Zooba sells taamiya, not falafel. When Chris Khalifa launched Zooba in 2012, the goal was to elevate Egyptian street food from cheap, delicious, everyday sustenance to a global brand. By 2020, Zooba’s value proposition had already shaped a loyal following at home and abroad with branches in Egypt, a franchise agreement in the GCC, and a New York outpost — opened just before covid-19 hit.
Chris talks to us about what it takes to change people’s perception on how much street food should cost through the power of a strong brand. We discuss introducing new food to foreign markets, teaching Westerners how to say Taamiya, and how Zooba survives economic crises.
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You can check out Zooba here: www.zoobaeats.com
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