Charbel Mhanna is a visionary in the food world, playing a significant role in the evolving landscape of F&B in the region. As the Chief Executive Officer of Blackspoon, he is currently spearheading the growth of the region’s leading restaurant group, proudly housing concepts such as Allo Beirut, Bombay Bungalow, Michelin Guide restaurant Ibn AlBahr, Nafas Beirut, and MASTI. He is the driving force behind the group’s soaring business performance, steering the company’s business development, chain expansion, and operations with an undivided focus on taking the company to new heights and uncharted territories across the GCC.
As a results-driven leader carving the way for Black Spoon, Mhanna, with the support of his team, guided Bombay Bungalow to be featured in Dubai’s first-ever Michelin guide. The group’s most popular Lebanese street food concept, Allo Beirut, has also won multiple accolades in the categories of ‘Best Budget’ and “Best Lebanese Restaurant” year after year. The Michelin Guide Ibn AlBahr is now one of Dubai’s only 17 Bib Gourmand restaurants, spreading its charm with refreshing seafood.
Charbel has been involved in developing and managing one of the most luxurious catering and restaurant groups in KSA as a Group Manager for almost 12 years. His legacy extends to helping create the largest lifestyle group in Qatar, with 19 brands, 43 outlets, four family entertainment venues, and the development of the second-largest dairy farm in the GCC. His dedication, foresight, and motivated team enabled the company to go public in just five years.
Continuing his meteoric approach from his early days, Charbel, with the support of his team, has been expanding the group’s presence with an ambitious expansion plan. Starting with the beloved Allo Beirut, which now has seven outlets across the UAE, Charbel and the team set their sights on taking the concept to untapped territories such as bustling KSA.
In the past year alone, their unified vision helped Allo Beirut mark its first ‘out of town’ debut in Abu Dhabi and, within a couple of months, also launch the largest Allo Beirut yet, standing tall and proud at 700 sq meters! If that wasn’t enough, Nafas Beirut – the at-home catering solution introduced under Allo Beirut – was launched less than a year ago. At the same time, other brands continued to build their award-winning service and win accolades for their respective categories.
