Rabih Saba and Marwan Ayoub are the founders of Venture Group, a development and consulting group known for its hospitality clusters.The group developed Uruguay Street in 2012, followed by The Village Dbayeh and The Backyard Hazmieh. Saba and Ayoub sat down with Executive to discuss their new venture, Restos St. Nicholas, as well as their…
Diversifying Lebanon’s tourism
Executive spoke with Pierre Achkar, president of the Lebanese Federation for Tourism Industries and the Lebanese Hotel Association, who says the tourism industry has learned the hard way the dangers of relying on one market. Although no single market can replace the Gulf tourists, he says, the tourism sector is developing alternative markets and new…
A mature market
Lebanon’s food and beverage (F&B) industry is finally getting the kudos it deserves: Beirut was named Travel and Leisure Magazine’s Best International City for Food in 2017, and the country has recently been recommended in many global publications for its food, wine, and nightlife. The country is developing into an F&B haven, as more establishments…
Food for thought
Executive sat with Mounir Bissat, secretary of Syndicate of Lebanese Food Industries, to talk about the challenges and opportunities in front of the agro-industry subsector experienced in 2017. E What are the main challenges facing the industry sector in general, and the agro-industry specifically, in Lebanon? The first challenge is instability in the country.…
Of reds, whites, and rosé
There is a lot to raise a glass to when it comes to Lebanese wine. 2017 saw several new wineries entering the market, with a few more slated to launch their first vintage in 2018, raising the total number of wineries to 49. Demand for Lebanese wine has grown internationally as well, with over 40…
Improving on tradition
Fall is peak season for Lebanon’s agriculture sector, as farmers are busy harvesting olives, grapes, apples, thyme, pine nuts and apples. These products are then used to make traditional goods such as olive oil, zaatar, jams, and syrups. Lately, a number of non-traditional goods, such as apple cider or chutney have been thrown into the…
The comeback year
After five long years, it seems the dark stormy clouds of dwindling tourist figures and empty rooms have finally cleared from the sky of Lebanese tourism. 2017 was reported by those in the industry to be smooth sailing, for the most part. There may still be some ominous weather ahead—the fallout from Prime Minister Saad…
From the olive to the oil
Olive trees are arguably as entrenched in Lebanon’s identity as its cedars. The country is home to 16 olive trees known as the Sisters, or the Olive Trees of Noah, which are among the oldest olive trees in the world. Located in Bcheale, in northern Lebanon, these olive trees are said to be 6,000 years…
The thyme trailblazers
A heavenly aroma greets you when passing by a bakery; tangy flavors linger on your taste buds long after you have swallowed that last bite. Yes, we are talking about zaatar—the faithful companion of the man’ousheh, a Lebanese breakfast favorite. Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon each have their own versions of zaatar, mixing different herbs and…