C3 Arabia Hires Ian Toal as CEO
Ian Toal has joined C3 Arabia as CEO.
The industry vet has more than 30 years of leadership experience in global hospitality, international supply chain management and quick service restaurants.
The first C3 site in Saudi Arabia, Citizens Food Hall, will launch in Riyadh in the first quarter of 2022. C3 Arabia is set to introduce 40 international brands to the region including ’ C3’s popular global brands including Umami Burger, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Krispy Rice, Sa’Moto, Cicci di Carne, El Pollo Verde, Kumi, EllaMia, Plant Nation, 12 Caviar and more.
C3 Arabia is a joint venture funded by Smart Food Holding (SFH), a division of WK Holding and C3 by sbe through its consortium of high-profile partners, including Layla Abuzaid, Tharawat Technology and Yasser Alobaidan. Abuzaid has embarked to assemble an operating team based in Riyadh, which CEO Ian Toal will now oversee, working to identify, mentor, and incubate local culinary talent and deliver best-in-class execution across the C3 Arabia operating platform.
Toal, has a career that has spanned from the USA, Europe, and the Gulf Cooperation Council - the economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Toal has led more than 40 brands across 600 restaurants in 10 countries. These successes have led to a global understanding of what it takes to make an international business successful, as well as achieving targets both financial and personal for investors.
Most recently, Ian Toal helmed the Riyadh-based Alfa Co. which operates 10 restaurant and digital kitchen brands globally and holds almost 100 brick-and-mortar locations. Alfa Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary by Al Fasaliah Group, led by its president HRH Prince Mohammed Al Faisal. During his time with Alfa Co., Toal led the expansion of award-winning restaurants such as Steak House, Piatto, FireGrill, City Fresh Kitchen and Steak House Burgers.
Prior to his work with Alfa Co., Ian Toal served as the President of Alshaya Group based in Kuwait. During his time with Alshaya Group, he managed the expansion of global brands such as The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Changs, Texas Roadhouse, Shake Shack, Blaze Pizza, Raising Cane’s, Pizza Express, Katsuya, Spontini, Dean & Deluca, Ihop and Pinkberry. He was voted “World’s Best Restaurant Partner” by the Global Restaurant leadership conference in 2017/18.
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C3 Arabia is set to introduce 40 international brands to the region including ’ C3’s popular global brands including Umami Burger, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Krispy Rice, Sa’Moto, Cicci di Carne, El Pollo Verde, Kumi, EllaMia, Plant Nation, 12 Caviar and more.