Latest news with #HadyKfoury
L'Orient-Le Jour
22-07-2025
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Naya raises $195 million to expand Lebanese food chain across the US
"New York had never seen a Lebanese restaurant like Naya," the New York Times wrote back in 2008, two weeks after Naya first opened. Seventeen years later, the Lebanese restaurant chain founded by entrepreneur Hady Kfoury now has more than 30 locations across the it isn't slowing down. Having just raised $195 million through the Trispan fund — of which Lebanese Fady Michel Abouchalache is a founder and director — Naya is planning to have 200 locations running by which has invested in eight projects and startups, has already helped five of them surpass the $1 billion mark in valuation, revenue, or assets under their management, and taken two of them public. Alongside its partners, Trispan also manages about fifteen restaurant chains and some 400 locations. More from the diaspora From Lebanon to...
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Naya-It's Not Just Middle Eastern Cuisine; It's Lebanese Food
Hady Kfoury has turned his Middle-Eastern restaurant chain Naya into having 33 locations, with most ... More in NYC, but now in 4 other states. Because New York City's 8.4 million population is so multi-cultural and consists of about 35% immigrants, Middle Eastern restaurant chains abound including Cava, The Halal Guys and Miznon But Hady Kfoury describes his food served at Naya a bit more specifically: Middle Eastern flavor rooted in Lebanese culinary traditions. 33 Locations and Counting And Naya has been growing at a steady pace. After opening his original Naya (Mezze Grill) in Midtown East on Second Avenue and 55th Street in 2008, he has grown his chain to 33 locations with 25 in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the remainder in Conn., N.J. Penn. and Mass. In 2024, it opened 10 locations and is on track to open close to 15 more in 2025. Kfoury was raised in Beirut before immigrating to NYC at age 25. Prior to that, he trained at a Swiss culinary school before gaining internships with noted chefs Daniel Boulud and Francois Payar, and then worked full time at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC. Enterprising Kfoury raised $700,000 from family and friends originally, which got it off the ground. When he had 7 locations, he knew he could only expand by a couple a year, if he opted to avoid debt, so he partnered with the private equity firm TriSpan, which is based in NYC, and has invested in Maman and Rosa Mexicano. That partnership has fueled its growth and led to steady expansion. And All Are Company-Owned Unlike most restaurant chains which expand quickly by franchising, which funds the growth, Naya's full complement of locations are company-owned. It has no franchised locations, an outlier in these times. Kfoury has also learned to be very adaptive and considers listening to his customers a priority. He reads every note sent to the restaurant. His first eatery Naya Mezze Grill was a fine-dining concept, which he eventually turned into a Naya Express, and finally to fast-casual Naya (whose name it capitalizes in its logo).. Customize Your Meal Guests can customize their own meals with a protein, sauce and unlimited toppings. He also gives credit to Chiptole for starting this process of walking down the line and choosing your own meal. He adds that it includes several Lebanese-style dishes such as chicken shawarma, lamb kabab, and hummus, and Lebanese-inspired food such kibbe (fried beef dumplings) and fatayer (spinach and sumac mini pies. Kfoury also says that each of its competitors possesses its own strength, Cava is more Greek, Miznon more Israeli and Naya more Lebanese. 'One is not better than the other; we're all different,' he says. Kfoury says guests could dine at Naya two or three times a week and never order the same dish, and that also takes into consideration people's allergies and food preferences. How does the quinoa included in many dishes stay fresh? Kfoury explains that it may be freshest at 11 a.m. when it opens, but it should be replenished every half-hour. Keeping Prices Competitive He's also kept a lid on is prices, so a dinner with a beverage costs around $18, the Naya bowls start at $12, and salads begin at $12. He says its most urban locations in NYC and Boston tend to target the lunch crowd such as office and remote workers and the more suburban locales such as Darien, Ct. or Montvale, N.J. appeal more to families, offices as well as a growing need for catering and special events. Its location at York Avenue and 70th Street is down the block from Weill Cornell Medical Center, which attracts a bevy of hospital employees. On Yelp, Monique from Las Vegas dined at the Naya in the financial district and said the chicken kebab was tasty, perfectly grilled and inexpensive. She also liked the hummus with rice and ended up dining there twice during her NYC stay. But Laura from New York thought the chicken kebab was a 'little dry' but noted that it only cost $14 for a bowl. And Liz from Yonkers said when she has to be in the office Naya is her 'go-to spot for lunch.' In terms of the future, Kfoury expects a couple of new locations on the Upper West Side or Upper East Side, but 'Manhattan is at full capacity.' He's exploring growth in N.J, Ct, and Philly and says he's looked into Florida but finds it too expensive. He says the 3 keys to its success are: 1) Authenticity of its food, 2) Generosity of its unlimited toppings, 3) Affordability.
