Egypt's First Fatburger Opens Drive-Thru To Skip Toll Booth Lines On The Way To Sahel

There are two things we know to be true: one is that Egyptians love their burgers just as much as they love hitting the beach this summer; two is that what they don’t love is finding themselves stuck in long lines at the toll booth, getting increasingly impatient and hungry. Providing a delicious solution to these long lines during the holiday season is 'The Last Great Hamburger Stand' – Fatburger – which is not only (finally) making its way to Egypt, but will also launch its first location in the Chill Out rest stop situated right beside the Alexandrian toll booth, providing Egyptians the chance to pay the toll booth charge while ordering their burger in their incredibly convenient restaurant and drive-thru.

Burger news in Egypt doesn’t get any bigger than the announcement that Egypt will finally have its own Fatburger. Originating in Hollywood, this all-American iconic food chain opened its doors in 1952. It quickly became a crowd favourite among A-list celebrities in search of mouthwatering favourites, ranging from hand-formed burger patties that are fresh and never frozen and freshly baked artisanal buns to homemade onion rings that are prepared fresh daily and hand-scooped milkshakes made with real ice cream. The winning combination of extremely flavourful casual dining and professionally efficient service has helped the iconic chain reach over 32 countries and became known as The Last Great Hamburger Stand.

Bringing this gourmet Hollywood burger franchise to Oum el Donia is none other than burger-loving entrepreneur Omar Shalaby, who believes Fatburger’s global popularity is due to its diverse array of customisable options. “The cool thing about Fatburger is the ability to customise your burger to what you’re craving that day. From options like a fried egg, signature beef chili, jalapeños, or mushrooms…. the options are endless. And then there is my favourite: the Western BBQ Fatburger that has cheese, beef bacon, smokey barbecue sauce, and onion rings. It’s a real mouthful, but easily washed down with an Oreo shake. But on days I need to hit the gym, the lettuce wrap Fatburger hits my needs without the carbs, proving there are options for everyone,” Shalaby excitedly explains.

Although there are other chains that accept customised orders, they still fall short on delivering in terms of freshness and convenience. According to Shalaby, “Our first Fatburger at Chill Out is a unique location that provided us an opportunity to expand our service style to include a drive thru. As a major thoroughfare between Cairo and Alexandria, we felt responsible to provide our product to not only those who have the time to enjoy our dining room and customer service, but also those looking to ‘refuel’ with quality food while on the move. The drive thru allows hungry customers to pick up our famous burgers and shakes to enjoy while on the road - however, you can’t rush perfection; all Fatburger products are cooked to order – no heat lamps or microwaves ever.”

Wanting to ensure that Fatburger would open in time for Eid, Shalaby reached out to owner of Fatburger International, Andy Wiederhorn, who expedited the procedures to guarantee opening on time. At the heart of Fatburger's globally glowing reputation is not only its taste but its unique and friendly service. According to Shalaby, “In my experience with restaurants in Cairo, the relationship between the staff and myself as a customer seems to end once the food is delivered. We want to change that. The Fatburger customer is our focus and priority throughout the dining experience and beyond. We want to interact with our customers, become involved in local neighbourhoods, and grow together.”

Fatburger will be opening is doors on July 6^th - the first day of the Eid feast. Aside from having the option between a delicious single or a mammoth mouthwatering quad burger, travellers planning on passing the toll booth will also be able to pay for their ticket in the beautifully decorated restaurant or while ordering their burger in their drive-thru for the first time. This is a gamechanger in terms of saving time while filling your belly on your way to the beach this Eid. However, if you aren’t heading that way, there is still encouraging news for burger fans as Fatburger is planning a very quick expansion that will see the chain sprout up in Sheikh Zayed, Zamalek, and Giza by the end of the year, and New Cairo, Alexandria, and Gouna in 2017. With the first restaurant opening this week and an ambitious expansion plan, Fatburger is on track to become known in Egypt as ‘The First Last Great American Stand’ in Oum el Donia.

For more information about Fatburger visit their Facebook by clicking here.