The brief
The best of Asia, under one roof
Al Mathaaq, founded in Jeddah in 2009, ran international franchises alongside restaurant brands it had developed itself.
As chief executive, Paul was responsible for assessing and managing the group’s existing restaurant portfolio, and for creating new, locally developed brands for the Jeddah market. Pan Jan was one of them: an accessible pan-Asian concept in a fresh, energetic and informal setting.
What we did
The full development of a new brand
We led Pan Jan from the initial concept and positioning through to the way it would run.
Concept and positioning
A “best of Asia” proposition, accessible and fun, with a clear place in the group’s portfolio and in Jeddah’s dining scene.
Food and beverage
A proposition drawing on six cuisines, from sushi to wok-fried dishes, kept coherent rather than sprawling.
Menu development
Menu structure, recipes and presentation, balancing familiar favourites with dishes guests would not find elsewhere in the city.
Guest experience
An informal, energetic room with a street-market mural and a playful voice, summed up on the wall: Be random.
Operating model
Kitchen, service and staffing models designed to deliver a broad menu consistently and profitably.
Portfolio fit
Developed alongside a review of Al Mathaaq’s existing restaurants, so the new brand strengthened the group as a whole.
Paul is a highly committed, trustworthy and hard working professional, gifted with a high sense of diplomacy leading him and his business associates to the needed success.
Bandar AlSulaiman, CEO, Al Mathaaq
The result
A new brand for a growing group
Pan Jan gave Al Mathaaq a distinctive pan-Asian brand of its own, developed for the Jeddah market rather than imported under licence.
It was created alongside Bahreez, a contemporary Egyptian street-food concept, as part of the same engagement. Explore our strategic advisory work with restaurant groups.
