Egyptian Restaurants Struggle to Survive as Preparation Lags Behind

2026-02-18 - 16:53

On Cairo streets, many restaurants open with optimism and close with startling speed. New signs go up overnight, and months later, the lights go off, replaced by another concept, another promise. In Egypt, the restaurant scene is diverse, crowded, and risky. Globally, restaurants are fragile enterprises. Roughly 17 percent of restaurants close worldwide within their first year, and about 80 percent shutter within five. In Egypt, the churn is harsher. Industry estimates suggest that as many as 60 percent of restaurants fail in their first year, and similar to worldwide statistics, nearly 80 percent close within five years. The turnover rate points to fierce competition, thin margins, and a market that welcomes newcomers and weeds out the unprepared. “People think having a restaurant is easy,” Amr Mostafa, hospitality consultant and founder of Amr Mostafa Hospitality Management Solutions, told Egyptian Streets. “They are not.” Mostafa has 24 years of experience across hotels, fast food, casual dining, and mass catering. His career reads like a tour of the global food industry. He began in international hotels, worked his way through KFC and Burger King in the Gulf and Egypt, helped launch the... This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.