TMR and Kitopi sign franchise agreement to launch CATCH22 and Awani in Egypt

TMR has signed a strategic franchise agreement with Kitopi to launch restaurant brands CATCH22 and Awani in Egypt for the first time, according to a press release published on 2 November 2026. Awani’s rollout will begin with a restaurant at Street 12 mall in New Cairo. The partnership also provides for further openings elsewhere in Egypt, although no detailed timetable has been announced.

Exclusive agreement to bring two brands to Egypt

The companies announced an exclusive partnership under which TMR will introduce both brands to the Egyptian market. The agreement was signed by Omar Hisham Talaat, Chief Executive of TMR, and Mohamad Ballout, Chief Executive and Co-founder of Kitopi, in the presence of senior executives from both companies.

The agreement establishes a framework for two brands already operating in the Gulf region to enter Egypt through a franchise arrangement. The announcement therefore concerns an agreement to launch restaurants, rather than the opening of Egyptian outlets to customers. This distinction matters when tracking franchise expansion: signing an agreement is not the same as completing a restaurant’s fit-out and opening it to the public.

According to the statement, TMR will introduce CATCH22 and Awani to the local market by opening their first Egyptian outlets. The announcement did not disclose the investment involved, the agreement’s duration or the total number of planned restaurants. Nor did it provide details of franchise fees or financial arrangements between the parties, so the financial scale of the expansion cannot be assessed from the announcement alone.

New Cairo is the announced starting point for Awani

The statement named Street 12 mall in New Cairo as the location of Awani’s first restaurant in Egypt. This is the most specific operational detail in the announced market-entry plan, linking the brand’s launch to a named site. Details of subsequent openings remain subject to further announcements from the companies.

The announcement said the first restaurant would be followed by openings at what it described as strategic locations across Egypt, expanding both brands’ local presence. However, it did not name those locations, identify the cities covered by the plan or specify how the openings would be split between CATCH22 and Awani. Neither the location nor the opening date of CATCH22’s first Egyptian restaurant was announced.

The confirmed development in New Cairo is therefore the selection of Awani’s first site, not an opening date. A wider rollout of both brands forms part of the announced plan, but without detailed numbers or timings. Keeping these distinctions clear allows the agreement to be understood as the start of an expansion, rather than treating all proposed outlets as ready to open.

Levantine cuisine and an international dining concept

Awani offers a contemporary take on Levantine cuisine, featuring Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian and Palestinian dishes. CATCH22 offers a modern, sociable dining experience with international food. The partnership thus brings together two brands with distinct culinary identities, rather than a single concept presented under different names.

The statement said the brands have outlets in the Gulf region, including Dubai, Riyadh and Bahrain. This presence provides background on their operations outside Egypt, but the announcement included no sales figures, customer numbers or performance data for either brand. It also gave no details of the menus or pricing planned for their Egyptian restaurants.

For those following the franchise sector, these details help establish the nature of the two concepts preparing to enter the market; they do not provide a basis for assuming commercial success. What has been announced is the introduction of two regionally established brands to Egypt. Further information around the actual openings should clarify the local dining experience and how it may differ from outlets in other markets.

Start of a partnership that could include more brands

According to the statement, Omar Hisham Talaat said the launch of CATCH22 and Awani represents the first step in a collaboration with Kitopi to bring more brands to Egypt for the first time in the period ahead. The announcement did not name any additional brands or set a timetable for agreements, making this an expression of intent rather than a fully detailed expansion programme.

Talaat linked the partnership to TMR’s strategy of developing and expanding its portfolio of retail and food and beverage concepts, and bringing more international brands to Egypt. He also highlighted the aim of aligning new concepts with Egyptian consumers’ expectations. These comments express the company’s objectives; they are not independent measures of demand or forecasts of restaurant performance after opening.

The practical takeaway for franchise-sector readers is that the agreement confirms a planned market entry for two brands and identifies Awani’s first location. Assessing related partnership or expansion opportunities will require monitoring the opening dates and terms announced by the companies. The current announcement does not offer franchise opportunities to other investors.