Over the past couple of years, we’ve witnessed explosive growth in startups in Bahrain. More people are choosing to be their own bosses than ever before. Fear of failure is declining when fantastic examples of successful Bahraini entrepreneurs break major barriers to get where they are today. While many of these new startups follow traditional business models, there are a few who simply won’t settle for the ordinary. Here are six hot and upcoming startups. Bahraini, unique, and creative in what they have to offer.
STARTUP #1 : BARREL & DRUM
Barrel and Drum, an up-to-the-minute designer eyewear line, prides itself on a return to essentials. They believe in stripping back the pseudo-glamour and grandeur of designer eyewear to create pieces that are grounded and natural, yet still utterly stylish.
Designed with contemporary and simplistic sensibility, Barrel and Drum can be worn by people from all walks of life who seek to do things a little differently.
Barrel and Drum were founded by Wafa AlObaidat and her team at Obai & Hill, a creative agency with a group of design professionals hoping to unify a young, vibrant sense of style with simple, high-quality, eco-friendly materials like bamboo and other natural woods. The company offers a collection that includes five different styles, each suitable for both genders. The Classics collection embraces tried-and-true looks, repurposed with signature wooden frames. Each piece highlights the beauty of the natural wood through iconic styles designed to suit any individual. Barrel and Drum allow you to fully express your individuality without having to play by the rules of high-end consumer brands.
“Barrel and Drum allows you to fully express your individuality without having to play by the rules of high-end consumer brands.
Barrel and Drum can be found at Ezmeel, Riyadat Mall, Dukkan 3 at Al Riwaq Gallery, Meemos Space Al Aali Mall, Seef Mall, at The Yard, Kuwait, and online at www.barrelanddrum.me. You can contact them on Instagram & Twitter here @barrelanddrum, give them a call 17 536092 or email them at info@barrelanddrum.me.
STARTUP #2 BESUITED
Besuited is a cutting-edge men’s accessory store offering a wide selection of diverse embellishments: neckties, pocket squares, bracelets, tie bars, lapel pins, and more.
BeSuited loves to surprise its clients with new items every few weeks.
In a region where it is relatively uncommon to find a men’s accessory store, BeSuited hand-picks their ties, only bringing in what they absolutely love. BeSuited’s clients believe in their taste in fashion and always come back for more.
“BeSuited’s clients believe in their taste in fashion, and always come back for more.
BeSuited is about to sign a lease and obtain commercial registration, promising big events and exciting happenings for the immediate future. The scope of their business plan involves going viral.
Recently, BeSuited secured their biggest client to date: Bahrain Credit. What an incredible opportunity to provide impeccable men’s fashion within the corporate context. Their ties are on the way!
Check out BeSuited at www.thebesuited.com or 32222337 / 32222447.
STARTUP #3 BOSSY KITCHEN
Bahraini couple Aysha Al Araifi (executive head chef) and Mohammed Al Khalifa (co-founder) of Bossy Kitchen like to call their restaurant a “healthy urban eatery.”
What started out as a market stall quickly transformed into a home-based business before emerging as a full-fledged restaurant. Calorie-counting isn’t emphasized here; instead, you’ll find a strong focus on nutritionally-dense meals (with a few delicious cheats on the menu, too) and modern/traditional food like Oatmeal Mathrooba and Bahraini Sushi.
“What started out as a market stall quickly transformed into a home-based business before emerging as a full-fledged restaurant.
Bossy Kitchen cooks everything from scratch daily, choosing to hand-make each piece of gnocchi instead of buying pasta in bags. Their concept is based upon the new #farmtotable trend: all salad ingredients are locally-grown, and come from the farm straight to their door. All drinks are cold-pressed instead of blended, as the heat from the blade can leech off nutrients.
Bossy Kitchen’s interior was designed and (mostly) built by family and friends. The interior features natural and industrial elements such as recycled wood, perforated sheets and concrete, juxtaposed with arabesque gypsum pillars and bright pops of color—a nod to their Bahraini heritage.
Bossy Kitchen just opened its doors in January, at the Reem Center in Riffa. People can stalk Bossy Kitchen on social media @bossykitchen, e-mail them at info@bossy.kitchen, or call them at 33397433.
Bossy Kitchen currently serves dinner from Monday to Friday (6 p.m. – 10 p.m.), and brunch on Saturdays (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.). They offer a full-blown menu ranging from starters to salads, main dishes, desserts, and cold-pressed juices. Hopefully, nobody is allergic to awesome!
STARTUP #4 EAT APP
Eat is a real-time reservations system for fine dining featuring products to benefit both restaurants and diners.
For restaurants, Eat supplies an iPad application that manages table reservations with simple floor planning features, records customer history and preferences, and provides a tool for publishing targeted promotions and discounts. For diners, Eat supplies an iPhone app that allows users to discover restaurants around them, find available tables, and confirm reservations instantly. The iPhone is linked with the iPad, and reservations are communicated with the restaurant in real time.
Eat’s mobile app is loaded with features to help locate restaurants in your vicinity, then filter them according to cuisine, location, and price. Eat keeps a tally of the number of times a diner has reserved, and in a plan similar to airline miles, they can earn access to free meals.
“Eat’s mobile app is loaded with features to help locate restaurants in your vicinity, then filter them according to cuisine, location, and price.
For restaurants, Eat offers a front-of-house management system. The app allows restaurants to replace the conventional pen-and-paper method with an iPad, which studies table inventory and connects with the diner app to confirm reservations in real time.
The only consumer option that existed previously came in the form of concierge services—websites that allowed the diner to submit reservation requests. The service would then e-mail or call the restaurant, and once the restaurant had confirmed, they would get back to the diner with the details. Inevitably, there was lag time (and a middleman) in between.
Eat is different. The iPhone app returns results so fast, it is able to display the available tables and time slots of up to 100 restaurants in under a second.
As of February 2015, Eat has seated 300,000 guests. Find them at +973 36844440 or at nezar@eatapp.co.
STARTUP #5 FISH TRANSPORTER
Fish Transporter is the first e-commerce website to specialize in fresh fish. When it comes to your seafood dishes, Fish Transporter can take care of the most intricate details.
Whether you want your fish cleaned, filleted, or even separated in a certain way, it’s all possible with just a few clicks.
Fish Transporter provides information about what’s available in the fish market on a daily basis, along with a current list of prices. They help you through every step, letting you choose what’s best for you! Fish Transporter delivers all over Bahrain, at prices as low as 1BD per delivery.
Fish Transporter believes in transparency and trust. They know they wouldn’t be able to perform to the fullest without being very specific about every individual client’s requirements. If it’s not today’s catch, they don’t deliver. Fish Transporter takes care of the smallest details of every single order, leading to proven success.
“Fish Transporter believes in transparency and trust. They know they wouldn’t be able to perform to the fullest without being very specific about every individual client’s requirements.
Fish Transporter recently redesigned their website, and added new sections in the fish menu. Visitors can now filter the menu based upon the way they want to cook their fish. This addition has elicited a great deal of positive feedback from their clients—basically, they love it! In addition, Fish Transporter is looking to expand to the nearby countries in 2015. Dubai, Jeddah, Khobar, Kuwait, and Doha are the next targets.
Fish Transporter is one of Batch 4, funded by Tenmou, the Bahraini Business Angels Company. They served more than 500 clients in 2014, and the number is growing every day—without a single unhappy client. Their target for 2015 is to serve more than 2,000 clients in Bahrain alone, and ten times that number through expansion within the GCC.
Fish Transporter can be reached at 36612141, and via social media @FishTransporter. You can always reach them via e-mail at info@FishTransporter.com.
STARTUP #6 THE WORKSHOP
The Workshop is an independent design studio specializing in graphic design and art direction.
It aims to maximize the power of visual communication through exciting and thoughtful design, giving businesses a significant advantage in their field. The Workshop also offers an array of bespoke design services in mediums that answer the needs of all their clients, from the entrepreneur to the host of a happy occasion.
The Workshop’s founder, Dana Abdulghani, is driven by a passion for design and a strong belief in visual communication. What we see has a profound effect on how we feel, how we perceive things, and what we do with that feeling and that perception. Quality design represents an essential element of any successful endeavor.
“The Workshop’s founder, Dana Abdulghani, is driven by a passion for design and a strong belief in visual communication.
Each team member’s dedication to the client extends beyond the design process and into other aspects of their business where we can provide advice and support. Fatima Yousif is an integral part of the Workshop creative team. Her efforts helped us develop a deep attachment to and appreciation of the studio element, which has become an essential aspect of The Workshop.
The Workshop’s graphic design and art direction services currently include branding & identity, print design, and publications. The company works closely with clients to create clear, engaging identities positioned across various platforms and media.
When it comes to print design, you’ll find editorial design, packaging, posters, brochures, and stationery at the forefront. Their deliverables demonstrate acute attention to detail and craft.
The Workshop just completed work on Twinkle Twinkle, a children’s academy and café located in Saar. Next up is a project based in Oman. The Workshop is also planning to expand into digital media and event management, and will introduce a pop-up section in their space to serve as a gallery.
Whatever your project may be, The Workshop has a design plan and scope for you. Their clients include Mattar Jewelry, Pachachic, Babushka, Datum, Store It, and Kuwait’s Shanta.
The Workshop is located on the Ground Floor of Riyadat Mall in Aali. Reach them here by email at info@theworkshopbh.com, by phone on 39422031, or on Instagram at @theworkshopstudio.