São Paulo – The partners and the name are from the Arab world, the taste is Turkish, the know-how European and the market Brazilian. This is the recipe for Mumtaz (“ممتاز”, or “excellent” in Arabic), a kebab döner restaurant franchise launched this year. They have recently opened a store at Top Center, a mall located on Paulista Avenue, in São Paulo, to offer a “blast of flavor” to the local clientele.
Kebab döner is the Turkish name for the dish known in Brazil as churrasco grego (literally, Greek barbecue), and as shawarma in the Arab world, made of roasted beef on a vertical rotisserie, which is served sliced, and can be eaten with bread, as a sandwich, or on a plate with side dishes.
The businessman Tariq Umaia Mourad, of Lebanese descent and partner in the enterprise, says that, in spite of the familiar appearance of the dish, the flavor and quality of their product have never been seen in Brazil. “We got the know-how, all the expertise, abroad,” he pointed out.
Mourad and his Syrian partner went to Europe to fetch the recipes, the sauces, spices and machinery for the production, and joined suppliers who trade with that continent and are of Greek or Turkish descent. “This is a success in Europe, in Germany alone 400 tonnes of kebab are consumed per day,” he said.
The flavor and texture of the kebab prepared by Mumtaz are quite different from those of similar dishes sold in Brazil. “The cultural proposal is Turkish,” stresses the businessman.
The partners set up a factory in São Paulo to produce the dish and supply to the future chain of franchises. The beef and chicken are ground, then minced and mixed with spices, pressed and roasted on the rotisserie. When they are ready to be served, long thin slices are cut, poured with sauce, served with French fires or rice, and salad, or rolled in a thin bread with salad.
According to Mourad, the factory is capable of producing ten tonnes of kebab per day, and the chain also serves dishes with falafel (fried balls made of ground fava beans or chickenpeas).
Earlier this year, the partners opened an experimental store in the region near Santa Ifigênia Street, downtown São Paulo, and later took part in Fipan, food trade fair held in July in the city. “It was one of the most sought-after stands of the fair,” said Mourad.
The businessmen hope to open their kebab restaurants throughout Brazil and they are seeking potential franchisees. The Top Center store, according to Mourad, is already owned by a franchisee, and the next one should be opened in Santos, on the São Paulo coast.
Contact
Mumtaz
Phone: (+5511) 2366-5658
Email: info@muntazgroup.com.br
Website: www.muntazgroup.com.br (in Portuguese)
Restaurant at Top Center mall
Paulista Avenue, 854, Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP, at the food court
Phone: (+5511) 3262-0099
Opening hours: from 9am to 9pm
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
