Issue link: http://endeavor.uberflip.com/i/414924
FOCUS Omar Tabbaa COMPANY EAT Restaurant Group INDUSTRY Consumer YEAR SELECTED 2013 EMPLOYEES 2014 370 REVENUE 2103 $8.5m EAT RESTAURANT GROUP runs four distinctly-themed restaurant brands in 12 locations across Jordan, Bahrain and Palestine. The family- focused EAT restaurants serve Italian and modern Arab cuisine in thought- fully decorated environments. EAT was founded by Omar Tabba's two brothers and their partners while Omar was pursuing a degree at the University of Arizona, and, later, the French Culinary Institute of New York. When Omar returned to Jordan in 2004, he became CEO and has driven the company's aggressive expansion ever since. In the context of MENA's lucrative restaurant market, which is expected to grow 500% by 2020, Omar plans to open 26 new restaurants in eight countries over the next three years. Omar was named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2013. Endeavor Jordan supports 20 entrepreneurs leading 14 companies. ENDEAVOR MAIN OFFICE Amman (2008) Omar Tabbaa 47 NETWORK FORBES NAMED Ala' Alsallal, founder of the online bookstore Jamalon, one of the "Three Entrepreneurs Capitalizing on the World's Fastest-Growing e-Commerce Market." ENDEAVOR JORDAN hosted a Mentor Exchange event for its network in summer 2014. The event's primary objective was to explain Endeavor's "high- impact" model to its mentor network, and to demonstrate the mul- tiple ways mentors can further Endeavor Jordan's mission. ENDEAVOR JORDAN hosted the second annual 'DealMakers' Weekend,' previously known as 'Invest in ICT.' Over 100 entrepreneurs and investors from Jordan and around the world participated in the two- day event, which brought together investors and companies operating in the ICT & ICT-enabled services sectors to explore MENA invest- ment opportunities in a networking, capacity building, and collabora- tive setting.