Burgers are the new sushi in Beirut, and the next big, juicy burger is rumored to be the American Franchise Fuddruckers….
After their Middle East debut in Saudi Arabia in 1994, the Fuddruckers franchise has spread all over the Gulf. After the KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan, Fuddruckers is setting up shop in Beirut!
The first branch is set to start flipping burgers before mid-August (around 3 months from now). The American franchise can be compared to Applebees, in that it is not as trashy as McDonald’s, but not as expensive as L’Entrecote. Speaking of Applebees, the first Lebanese Fuddruckers branch will be just across the highway in Dbayeh.
The venue has been painted and prepped, with the furniture and equipment still being assembled. The burgundy-interior can be seen in the below pictures. The restaurant boasts it will serve the best burgers in town. You can be sure I’ll be putting that to the test the minute they’re operational. After all, the quest for the best burger, must continue!
I think it’s a wonderful venue considering the gargantuan expansion and development that area is getting, with the ABC-Le Mall race well underway and the surrounding seaside sprouting high-rises every other month, Fuddruckerees should be plenty! As you can see, the venue is huge, stretches between both the highway and the seaside road, has two floors and an outdoors area and bar. The Fuddruckers guys also plan on opening a branch in Hamra in the not-so-distant future…
Here are some photos taken there on May 31st, 2011
