Photo provided by the establishment.
On the corner of a busy street in Sassine, the smell of warm butter and herbes de Provence drifts from a space of over 200 square meters. Behind the counter, and often in the dining room, Jihad Kfoury and his wife Joy have been welcoming customers like family since January 27. "People like to see us, they like the story, the fact that Joy and I are always here. It’s not just about the food," he sums up.
Yet the adventure didn’t start in Beirut. Three years ago, the couple opened their first Pouloche in Hazmieh, designed primarily for delivery and takeout orders. "We wanted to create that French touch, with a bakery and a rotisserie, French-style comfort food," Jihad explains. Hazmieh became a learning ground: a smaller market, but ideal for testing, adapting, and understanding.
A restaurant with table service
Once the concept was refined and the desire to grow was clear, the search for a location in Beirut became necessary. It would take a while. Ashrafieh, and more precisely Sassine, emerged as the natural choice. "The Pouloche clientele in Ashrafieh is similar to us. It’s a Francophone audience, already familiar with chicken cooked with herbes de Provence and brioches."
The new Pouloche marks a turning point. It’s larger, more visible, and signals a shift from takeout-only to a sit-down restaurant experience. There are twenty seats indoors, a terrace is planned — pending municipal approval — and continuous service is offered until 10 p.m., from breakfast through to dinner.
The investment is significant: just over $450,000, financed almost entirely by the founders. Only 8% of the capital was opened up to an investor. "We didn’t sell off shares to finance this, we want to keep control of our company," he insists. The company, Poulos SARL, now owns both locations. Between 13 and 14 employees work at the two sites, not counting Joy and Jihad.
Pouloche's menu remains committed to a clear vision: a few dishes, but done well. The rotisserie is based on a single product — chicken — served with roasted baby potatoes with herbes de Provence and mesclun, with a few seasonal vegetables to be added soon. "We don’t want an excessively long menu. We want to work with the products and really master them," Jihad explains.
Pouloche’s historical mainstay is the sandwich menu. Currently, they offer four sandwiches: the Pouloche, the Club, the Foca, and the Lebanese, but new additions will soon follow, including a vegetarian option.
At Pouloche, the golden rule is: everything is prepared on site. "We don’t buy anything from outside that we can make ourselves. No bread, no sauces. Even the thoum, we make here ... We were the first to launch black garlic sauce."
The third part of the offering is breakfast and baked goods: traditional baguettes, pastries, brioches with sugar, zaatar or chocolate, Viennese breads, and soon, tartes tropéziennes. "We’re trying to create that French feeling," says Jihad. The flours are French, but the rest of the ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible.
In terms of pricing, the goal is to be accessible without being low cost. The average bill at the restaurant is around $45 to $50 for three people, or about $15 per person. For delivery, it runs from $12 to $15 per person. As for ROI, Jihad remains cautious: "The numbers are still shifting, but I hope to see returns within three years."
The idea of a third Pouloche already exists, somewhere "in the back of our minds." But there’s no question of rushing things. "For now, we’re underwater. We need to fully master Ashrafieh’s operations first," Jihad says firmly. In Sassine, Pouloche is taking its time, like a good chicken slowly browning on the spit — no shortcuts, but with plenty of conviction.
