Albaik diehards, we’ve got some huge news for you. The UAE is about to get its first fried chicken drive thru as the Saudi phenom is readying its next blockbuster location in Dubai.
Yep, we will have an Albaik drive thru in the country’s biggest city, opening very soon in Al Rashidiya.
It’s been two years since the region’s most popular homegrown fast food concept opened in the country, and it’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Sure, we may not be having the same insane lines as the time the company was forced to limit its menu just to meet demand, but every opening in the UAE, whether it’s in Dubai or Sharjah, or even at Expo 2020, has been a smashing success, with no limit in sight for how big this brand can grow.
Where is the Albaik drive thru in Dubai?
Where will it be located? It will be in the Eppco petrol station in Al Rashidiya, found here on Google Maps.
This is already the eighth location that Albaik has opened in those two years, with more on the horizon.
According to Time Out Dubai, the drive thru will have a limited menu, but will offer crowd favourites, if not every single item that the brand is famous for.
What might the limited menu be? Well, when things got limited back in 2021, here’s what they limited it to:
“Dear customers, to serve you better and make your experience with us during our soft opening as per your expectations and following the Covid-19 precautions we will only be serving our 10 Piece Chicken Fillet Nuggets both Regular and Spicy. We look forward to seeing you soon!” the restaurant wrote on Instagram at the time.
But the brand has confirmed tp Esquire Middle East that even the limited menu this time will offer much, much more. So get excited, big things are on the way.
When will the Albaik drive thru open?
The location is set to make its grand debut next week as a soft open, with a full official open during Eid Al Fitr, which would be April 20, 2023.
How to skip the queues
The queues won’t be as heavy as they are in other location, as you will also be able to get ahead of the line by ordering via the Albaik app.
How the brand became a global phenomenon
Esquire Middle East recently did a deep dive into the brand’s rise, finding some amazing facts.
Since its opened in 1974 – and up until 2020 – Al Baik was exclusively retailed in the western province of Saudi Arabia. including Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina, the epicenter of Islamic pilgrimage.
In 2021, the broasted chicken brand ranked third on YouGov’s Best Brands in Saudi Arabia, but its reach has been, and continues to be, global.
The belovedlogo of a red-and-yellow chicken in a top-hat has, in those ensuing decades, meant many things to Saudi Arabia, the diaspora, and the Muslim world – from business genius, to the great Saudi equalizer, and a cult-like brand dedication similar to that of the Filipino fast food chain Jollibee or California’s In-N-Out Burger.
Nearly 50 years back, Saudi entrepreneur Shakour AbuGhazalah set up shop in a warehouse in the Sharafiyah district of Jeddah. The family inked an exclusive agreement with a foreign company for the “proprietary use of deep-fried chicken spice blend and equipment.” While the spice blend remains a secret to this day, the chicken is widely believed to be fried in a pressure cooker, in a method known as “broasting.”
Read more here.