Hospitality consultant to operate three-restaurant complex in Sudan

EL SERED Tourism and Hospitality has appointed Dubai-based hospitality consultants Thomas Klein International (TKI) to take over the operations management contract for the El Seref complex located in Khartoum, Sudan.

TKI was originally appointed to manage El Seref’s pre-opening as well as the design of the technical kitchen and back-of-house area.

After successfully managing the various aspects of the preopening period, TKI has now been assigned the management of the complex.

Commenting about the appointment, Daniel During, principal and managing director of Thomas Klein International said: “For years, TKI has operated internationally as a highly successful hospitality consultancy and design firm, and the company has also managed many businesses locally under management contracts.

“We have now reached a new milestone by securing the additional scope of services for the El Seref complex, as it is our first overseas management contract, and it is also the largest fully indoor and air conditioned restaurant operating in Africa.”

The El Seref complex is a 35,000 sq ft destination located in the Omdurman area of Khartoum, overlooking the confluence of the Blue and White Nile, and will encompass three distinct food and beverage outlets, offering a range of different cuisines in one convenient location.

The largest of the three restaurants will be called Al Housh, and is based on a traditional Sudanese market concept. The outlet will feature 25 live cooking stations and stalls selling fresh produce, and will have a seating capacity of 600.

The complex will also feature the first Cilantro Cafe in Sudan, which is part of a popular Egyptian coffee shop franchise, and will be able to seat 250 diners.

The aptly named “Third Space,” will be the smallest of the three outlets with 150 seats, and will serve both sushi and pasta, which are firm favourites the world over.

Combined, the three restaurants will have the capacity to seat over 1,000 customers simultaneously.

The El Seref complex is scheduled to open next month, with Al Housh and Cilantro due to open in time for Eid Al Fitr. The Third Space is due to open before the year-end. The total investment for the entire project is estimated at $10 million.