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How Mohammad Al Madani Built a 50-Store Restaurant Brand in the GCC
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian speaks with Mohammad Al Madani about his journey from a 1940s tailoring shop serving Dubai’s royal families to leading a 50+ store restaurant franchise portfolio in the GCC. He shares lessons on franchising, choosing the right locations, avoiding common mistakes, staying relevant with Gen Z, and more.
Mohammad Al Madani
Chairman & CEO, Al Madani Group
Mohammad Al Madani is the Chairman & CEO of Al Madani Group, a seasoned entrepreneur with four decades across engineering, retail, F&B, and franchising. A petroleum engineering graduate from the University of Tulsa, he built successful ventures across global brands like Levi’s and Charley’s. A Certified Franchise Executive and cultural advocate, he continues to champion innovation, heritage, and entrepreneurship across the UAE and beyond.
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Mohammad Al Madani, Chairman of the Al Madani Group, to explore his journey. Growing up inside his father’s tailoring shop in the 1940s, Al Madani learned customer service the traditional way, by watching his father stitch kanduras for Dubai’s earliest rulers, business families, and community leaders. These lessons in humility, discipline, and genuine hospitality shaped the foundation of his business philosophy.
From running one of the UAE’s most iconic tailoring brands to opening 40 retail stores and eventually building a 50+ store restaurant portfolio with Charley’s Philly Steaks, his career reflects constant reinvention. In this conversation, he shares the realities of entering F&B without prior experience, why his first standalone restaurant failed, what most franchisees get wrong, and how to choose locations that actually work.
He also talks about staying relevant for Gen Z, bringing new global concepts into the GCC, and why people, not systems, drive long-term success. Packed with practical lessons and timeless wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone in restaurants, franchising, or entrepreneurship.