Pickl

Pickl is a fast-food restaurant brand founded in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. The chain specializes in American-style burgers and related fast-food products, including cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches marketed as chicken sandos, and plant-based burgers made with Impossible-branded products. Its stated proposition centers on “fresh fast food,” with an emphasis on premium ingredients that are described as free from hormones, preservatives, and antibiotics. The first Pickl restaurant opened in April 2019 in the One JLT building in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers community. The concept gained attention in Dubai’s competitive casual dining and burger market, with Esquire Middle East identifying it as one of the city’s notable burger restaurants. Pickl subsequently expanded within Dubai, opening locations in areas including Motor City, Al Safa, and Madinat Badr. In April 2021, Pickl was selected as one of Dubai’s homegrown brands for inclusion in Time Out Market Dubai. This positioned the chain alongside several other locally developed food and hospitality concepts and gave it a prominent showcase within the city’s curated dining environment. In July of the same year, Pickl introduced An/Other, a temporary concept built around the theme “100 Years of Burgers.” The pop-up operated for approximately one year and changed its menu every three months, with successive offerings drawing on historic or influential burger styles, including versions inspired by the Big Mac and In-N-Out’s Double-Double. Pickl’s domestic expansion moved beyond Dubai by the end of 2021, when it opened its first Abu Dhabi location at Soul Beach in Mamsha. A second Abu Dhabi restaurant followed at the World Trade Centre in early 2022. After the An/Other pop-up ended, Pickl opened a full-scale restaurant in Dubai’s City Walk. By December 2022, the chain had entered additional emirates, including Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, and was reported to have a presence across four emirates. The brand began international franchising in 2023 with a Bahrain outlet developed in partnership with Zayani Foods. A second Bahrain location later opened in Juffair Square. Pickl subsequently entered Qatar in 2024 through a franchise partnership with Golondrina Hospitality, opening in Doha. It also expanded into Egypt through a partnership with Sky Restaurants, which opened three restaurants simultaneously on Egypt’s North Coast. Reference material also identifies a franchised Pickl restaurant in Jordan. By September 2023, the chain was reported to have 18 locations in the United Arab Emirates, in addition to international franchised restaurants in Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan. Pickl and its partners have discussed further expansion in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait, including a plan associated with Sky Restaurants for 30 restaurants across those markets. The brand has also stated an ambition to reach 200 locations globally by 2027, including 50 in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. These targets are expansion plans rather than confirmed achievements. Pickl remains an active regional restaurant brand with a growth model combining company-operated development in the UAE and franchised international expansion.

Pickl was established in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 as an American-style burger concept focused on what it describes as fresh fast food. Its opening menu combined cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches known as chicken sandos, and plant-based burgers using Impossible-branded products. The first restaurant opened in April 2019 at One JLT in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers. The concept quickly developed a following in Dubai, where it was recognized by local food and lifestyle media as a notable burger destination. The brand’s initial growth concentrated on Dubai. Additional restaurants opened in Motor City, Al Safa, and Madinat Badr, extending the concept across different residential and lifestyle districts. Pickl’s positioning emphasized ingredient quality, with the brand stating that its premium ingredients are free from hormones, preservatives, and antibiotics. This framing placed it within the growing regional market for modern fast food that seeks to combine speed and convenience with more carefully specified ingredients. In April 2021, Pickl was included in Time Out Market Dubai’s selection of homegrown brands. The inclusion gave the relatively young chain a platform alongside other UAE-developed hospitality concepts. In July 2021, the company also launched An/Other, a temporary restaurant concept based on the theme “100 Years of Burgers.” Rather than maintaining a single fixed menu, the pop-up introduced a different historical or culturally influential burger concept every three months. Its examples included interpretations of the Big Mac and In-N-Out’s Double-Double. The concept remained open for about one year and demonstrated Pickl’s interest in menu storytelling and limited-duration formats. Pickl began extending its UAE footprint beyond Dubai by the end of 2021. Its first Abu Dhabi site opened at Soul Beach in Mamsha, followed by a second restaurant at the World Trade Centre in early 2022. Once the An/Other pop-up concluded, Pickl returned the City Walk site to a full-scale Pickl restaurant format. By December 2022, the brand had also opened locations in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, giving it a presence in four emirates. By September 2023, reference material counted 18 Pickl locations in the UAE. The next stage was international franchising. In early 2023, Pickl entered Bahrain through a partnership with Zayani Foods. A second Bahraini restaurant followed in Juffair Square. The brand entered Qatar in 2024 through a franchise agreement with Golondrina Hospitality, opening in Doha. It also entered Egypt through Sky Restaurants, which opened three locations simultaneously on the North Coast. Reference material further records one franchised restaurant in Jordan. These partnerships indicate that Pickl’s international model relies substantially on local operators and franchise partners rather than on a wholly company-operated network. Pickl has publicly discussed ambitious future growth plans. In collaboration with Sky Restaurants, the brand has been associated with a plan to open 30 restaurants across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait. It has also stated a global target of 200 stores by 2027, including 50 in GCC markets. The available material does not establish whether these targets were achieved. Pickl’s documented development nevertheless shows a progression from a single Dubai restaurant to a multi-emirate UAE chain with franchised operations in several Middle Eastern markets. Its identity remains centered on burgers, chicken sandwiches, plant-based alternatives, and a fresh-fast-food proposition.

• 2024

  Expansion into Qatar and Egypt

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl opened in Doha through Golondrina Hospitality and launched three Egypt restaurants on the North Coast with Sky Restaurants.

• 2023

  First international franchise in Bahrain

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl entered Bahrain with franchise partner Zayani Foods and subsequently opened a second location in Juffair Square.

• 2022

  Expansion to additional UAE emirates

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl added a second Abu Dhabi site and expanded into Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

• 2021

  Inclusion in Time Out Market Dubai

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl was selected as one of Dubai’s homegrown brands for the Time Out Market Dubai food hall.

• 2021

  Launch of An/Other

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  The brand launched a temporary burger concept exploring a century of burger history through quarterly menu changes.

• 2021

  Entry into Abu Dhabi

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl opened its first Abu Dhabi restaurant at Soul Beach in Mamsha.

• 2019

  First Pickl restaurant opens in Dubai

  [1]Picklen.wikipedia.org

  Pickl opened its first restaurant in April at One JLT in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers.

A UAE-born fresh-fast-food burger chain combining American-style burgers with premium ingredient claims, distinctive chicken sandwiches, plant-based options, and a contemporary regional expansion strategy.

• Burgers · 2019

  Cheeseburgers

  Cheeseburgers are a core part of Pickl’s American-style fast-food menu and represent the brand’s principal product category. The chain presents its burger offering within a fresh-fast-food proposition focused on premium ingredients.

• Chicken sandwiches · 2019

  Chicken Sandos

  Chicken sandos are Pickl’s signature chicken-sandwich format. They broaden the menu beyond beef burgers while retaining the brand’s handheld, quick-service positioning.

• Plant-based burgers · 2019

  Impossible-branded burgers

  Pickl offers plant-based burger options made with Impossible-branded products. Their inclusion gives the chain a meat-free alternative within its otherwise burger-centered menu.

• Limited-time concepts · 2021

  An/Other historical burger series

  An/Other was a temporary menu and restaurant concept organized around 100 years of burger history. Its menu changed every three months and included interpretations of historically influential burgers such as the Big Mac and In-N-Out’s Double-Double.

• 2021An/Other: 100 Years of Burgers

  United Arab Emirates

  Pickl operated a concept pop-up for approximately one year, using quarterly menu changes to reinterpret notable burger styles and trace the development of burgers over a century.

  Outcome. The temporary concept ended after about one year, after which a full-scale Pickl restaurant opened at the City Walk site.

  Source

• 2024

  Announcement of large-scale regional and global expansion ambitionsStrategy

  Background

  Pickl’s international franchise development created a platform for expansion beyond the UAE.

  Action taken

  The brand was associated with plans for 30 restaurants across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait with Sky Restaurants, as well as an ambition to reach 200 global locations by 2027, including 50 in GCC markets.

  Aftermath

  The cited targets are expansion plans; the available material does not confirm their completion.

  Source

• 2023

  Adoption of international franchisingStrategy

  Background

  After developing a multi-emirate UAE network, Pickl sought international growth through local operating partners.

  Action taken

  The brand entered Bahrain through Zayani Foods and later used franchise partnerships for launches in Qatar and Egypt.

  Aftermath

  The strategy extended Pickl into Bahrain, Qatar, and Egypt, with reference material also recording a franchised Jordan location.

  Source

1. 1Picklen.wikipedia.org