SKK – From a Kebab Franchise in Italy to a Global Restaurant Chain

The Conception

Today he might be the “King of Kebab“, but for the great entrepreneur Dr. Naser Ghazal, establishing a chain of fast food in Italy, with ‘kebabs’ being the protagonists on the menu was not an easy task. For one, in early 2000s, banks had difficulties in funding ambitious business ventures of ‘foreigners’ due to a general lack of trust. If that was not an impediment, Italians were still apprehensive, and to a large extent unfamiliar with kebabs. Initiating a project that involved a foreign food, mood, appeal and ownership and introducing it into mainstream Italian food & beverage business was an uphill task for Dr. Naser.

Sitting in his Venice headquarter, Dr. Naser dreamed of ‘going against the tide’ and taking a chance. His determination and hard work finally paid off. The first franchise chain of kebabs with 4 direct stores was launched in 2001 under the brand name ‘Shockabab’.

Mixed doner shawerma kebab

From Shockakab to SKK – How One Low After Another Created a High!

The course was tough and it took some time for his new fast food idea to gain popularity and appeal amongst Italians. But then came the Great Recession of 2008 and business plunged into an all-time low.

Albeit the struggle, Naser remained steadfast and strived to break even. And then in 2010, he realized that in order to spring back to profitability, ‘Shockabab’ had to reinvent itself. This realization sowed the seeds of SKK Italy – an Italian fast food franchise, which became a highly profitable alternative to Naser’s original “only kebab” chain business within a couple of years. The philosophy behind SKK was to give the Italians what they wanted – a legendary alternative fast food experience.

By 2013, SKK Italy had 49 successfully running franchises all over Italy. In 2014, the brand expanded to the West and opened its franchises in U.S. and CanadaIn order to stay profitable, Naser even expanded SKK menu to include Italian delicacies such as pizzas and pasta.

The Road Ahead

Naser Ghazal & Norman CescutWith markets becoming more diverse, customers becoming more demanding and competition becoming intense, even established brands are finding the need to constantly reinvent themselves. 

With the mission to not just stick around but also stay ahead in competition with a ‘winning concept’, SKK has partnered with DESITA to enhance its brand image and related concept. 

After diligent market research and study, DESITA has come up with a proposal to restyle and rebrand SKK food business by consolidating its brand identity and making it stronger, bolder and cooler, under its new business tagline – ‘United Nations of Mediterranean Food’.

Importantly, DESITA will support SKK to shift from a fast food service concept and adopt a casual dining restaurant concept across all its franchises around the world, including the ones in U.S. and Canada. The restaurant menu will feature an innovative mix of Mediterranean food items and each store will have a dedicated retail section stocked up with indigenous food items such as olive oil, pesto, feta, hummus, etc. for sale.

DESITA will also help SKK to achieve its international expansion objectives, with end-to-end support in shop concept design, franchising, retailing and contract management.

Delivering the Ultimate Xenia Experience

The restyled and rebranded SKK concept will incorporate the “Meditterranean Hospitality” through the Greek Xenia experience – a feature that is sure to set brand SKK apart from other fast casual restaurants.

Xenia forms the basis of guest-host relationship in ancient Greek culture and considered to be the ‘ultimate measure of great hospitality’ even in an era of modernization.

DESITA is keeping the Xenia hospitality experience at the very core of this restyling project and amalgamate SKK’s food, environment and service elements to create a new brand identity that is synonymous with great customer delight and satisfaction.

Due to open soon in Qatar, the new SKK Mediterranean Restaurant is all set to be the first one to adopt the casual dining approach and offer the Xenia hospitality experience to customers!

By restyling the SKK brand, DESITA has proven once again its expertise in enhancing food business concept, combining modern interior design elements, foodservice expertise and best-in-class technology to create truly ‘wining concepts’. As for the SKK brand, the story of its journey from being a kebab selling franchise to becoming a full-fledged restaurant chain has been an inspiring one.

The new SKK Mediterranean Restaurants with their cool and chic set-ups, delicious menu options and innovative Xenia hospitality surely wrap an exclusive brand experience!

Please enjoy at the following link the brand new SKK Mediterranean Restaurant concept.

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  • sotiriosp

    Zeus, the king of gods in ancient Hellenic Mythology, was the patron of hospitality (xenia) and guests, ready to avenge any wrong done to a stranger.
    This shop concept, gives you the sensation of Mediterranean Hospitality, of calmness, of sunny days and of porpora sunset Aegean skyes. Food is important for the body, but SKK is much more important for the mind. Great Idea DESITA. BRAVO!!!

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