Cravia hosts annual team-building event

Off to a great start, 95 employees convened at Grosvenor House Hotel Dubai in the presence of senior management, partners and sponsors.

The event reinforced the sentiment that Cravia continues to thrive on a sense of unity that ignites passion and energy throughout every tier of the organisation and across all brands and outlets.

This year's theme focused on 'Coaching for Lasting Success', emphasising the importance of unity and saw world renowned speaker, Tony Ozanne, addressing the team with a special session called 'Coaching for Greatness'.

"We believe that if you want to lead, you have to lead by example, which is why this year's theme fits perfectly with our on-going strategy of coaching and team-building to create motivated employees. They believe in the company as we do, and work just as hard to continue to make our name and brands a success," said Cravia CEO, Walid Hajj.

The company saw sales exceed the Dhs127m mark this year, with the CEO expressing his vision for integrating an operating model that follows the likes of internationally-renowned chains, in turn reaping more rewards with each successive year.

Hajj added, "Growth and expansion have been our pillars and trademark over the years. At Cravia we always strive to be the biggest and the best at what we do, and the figures continue to confirm that we are on the right track."

Overall there was a blanket of great results; individually Zaatar w Zeit saw 23% growth, with sales increasing by 42% and online ordering making up 7.8% of total delivery transactions.

The brand also saw an extensive revamp of its image across stores in the UAE and was named 'Best Retailer of the Year - Food Service' at the Retail ME Awards.

Next year will see a new venture for Zaatar w Zeit in Saudi Arabia, to introduce the largest outlet to date. Saudi customers can look forward to the debut on the prestigious street of Al Tahlia, where they can enjoy all the same offerings that have been a hit in the UAE.

Cinnabon enjoyed a 7.7% increase in sales, opening new stores to reach 36 in 2012. The brand also added Carvel ice cream - 'America's favourite soft serve ice cream' - to its line-up for a richer all-around experience. Stand-alone Seattle's Best Coffee outlets opened up in Grosvenor Business Tower and HSBC branch five.

Cravia as a whole saw a year sprinkled with accolades and achievements, including being named a SuperBrand in the UAE, and picking up recognition at Focus Brands for best performance and sales growth.

"Each year presents an exciting new chapter in our illustrious history. With this event we celebrate the last chapter and look with renewed enthusiasm to writing the next."