August 8, 2012
The third largest fast food chain in Brazil is Habib’s, which specializes in Lebanese food. They have over 475 outlets in Brazil.
Wikipedia: Habib’s
Habib’s is a Brazilian fast food company that specialises in Middle Eastern cuisine and Brazilian sandwiches. It has more than 475 outlets (many of them self-owned) across the country and has recently begun expansion into foreign markets. It is known for very low prices and exotic dishes. Middle Eastern dishes are very popular in Brazil ever since the immigration of people from that area (particularly Lebanon and Syria) into Brazil, despite their numbers being less than 5% of the overall population.
NOTE: From my estimates, that 5% number is probably a slight bit low for Arabs, en toto, in Brazil – though it may be roughly accurate for Lebanese alone. I estimate 6% of Brazil’s population to be Arabic en toto.
One of their specialty sandwiches is the pita bread Beirute. They claim it is a traditional Arab sandwich, but they use cheddar cheese, which I suspect is a substitute for a more authentic Arabic cheese.
But cheddar or not, Habib’s loves to make fun of McDonald’s … the theme here is: TIRED OF THE SAME?! Then try Habib’s Beirute.
Posted on YouTube: Nov 11, 2016
Notice the close ups of the Beirute sandwiches
Habib’s directs its advertisements also at children – typical for fast food establishments.
Lebanese food is so ubiquitious in Brazil that it is now considered natively Brazilian. Kibbe, an Arab dish, can be bought from street vendors in almost every city.
We do the same thing in America. Somebody took a German sausage, slapped it in a bun, and now we consider it an all-American hotdog. And pizza – originally from Italy – is now considered as all-American as the hot dog.
Habib’s sells their own fast food versions of Kibbe, which they called KIBE.
That commercial was from 2007
Of course, for mainstream acceptance, you can’t beat Popeye, who seems to be a regular at Habib’s.
Habib’s is trying to expand internationally. Who knows? One day it might come to the USA.
