Anyone for broast?

THERE has been a long tradition in my family, and probably in many Jeddah families as well, that Friday lunch comes from Al-Baik — which we first knew as Broast. The aluminum box with half a chicken and an assortment of fries, a bun and those delicious little boxes of garlic sauce has been our obsession for 25 years. The bright red and yellow coloring hasn’t changed; neither has the price of the meal — SR10 — nor its quality. On the contrary, Al-Baik seems to go from strength to strength. What is its secret?

From a small shop in Jeddah, where many recall the owner himself serving the customers, to a network of shops all over the city, in Makkah and more recently in Madinah — the empire has grown to rival some of the most world-renowned franchises. Driving along Jeddah’s Wali Al-Ahd Street, the phenomenon of Al-Baik is clear for all to see. On one side you have a horde waiting in line at Al-Baik to buy their chicken meal and, on the other side, you have KFC where customers can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Each new store seems to have its own band of loyal customers as if by magic and the customers are usually as varied as the population of Jeddah. In fact, one of the most interesting sights is to park your car in front of an Al-Baik on Friday after midday prayer and just sit there for 15 minutes and watch the people coming and going. The variety is astounding and extremely entertaining. Into the bachelor section come fathers with their sons in tow, walking in perfect harmony with the same swagger, their heads held at the same angle. Into the family section comes the whole tribe, from toddlers to grandmothers. Even the UN would be hard-pressed to find a bigger representation of the world’s nations at their various meetings: you have the locals, the Pakistanis, the Indians, the Bangladeshis, the Egyptians, the Sudanese, the Lebanese, the Syrians, the Moroccans and even some Westerners! My apologies if I have left anyone out. Al-Baik is the one franchise that has broken all boundaries between these nations — perhaps the Arab League could consult Mr. Baik as to his strategy!

As Ramadan approaches, other restaurants and fast-food joints make preparations and alterations in their menus to suit the changing tastes of the holy month. Only Al-Baik makes no changes and remains as popular as ever. Is it the rapid, smiling service? Is it the constantly superior quality of the food? Is it the reasonable and unchanging price of the meal? In a city where the dining choices are huge and ever-growing, Al-Baik has steadfastly outshined and certainly outlived many fast-food joints and even some of the world class ones. Yes, I know you can’t compare apples and oranges — but then precisely where do you place Al-Baik? And when you think that Al-Baik is the only meal we take away as a souvenir of Jeddah and the first meal we think of upon our return, is there any further proof of its popularity?

It’s Friday — 1.30 p.m. — Al-Baik anyone?