Omar Fathy

Industry: Food
Founded: 2002
www.divine-worx.com

Divine Worx is bringing high-quality casual dining to everyday Egyptians. 

The Business

Since 2002, when Divine Worx founder Omar Fathy sold his car in order to invest in his first restaurant, Divine Worx has developed into Egypt's first home-grown, multi-branded restaurant chain. Divine Worx is a food services company that owns and manages four unique brands: Makani (deli, bakery, casual sushi), Burger Joint (American cuisine), El Sit Hosneya (Egyptian cuisine), and Zo (Asian cuisine). By appealing to the palate and wallet of typical Egyptians, Divine Worx's portfolio has grown to 18 proprietary plus 6 seasonal outlets at malls and street locations in Greater Cairo, Sharm el Sheikh, North Coast and Alexandria.  

The Entrepreneur

Omar has always been interested in the hospitality industry. His father had been a restaurateur, and Omar was fascinated by the process of creating new recipes. After gaining work experience at various five-star hotels in Egypt, Omar graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management. 

From 1996 to 2001, he worked at one of the first hotels in Sharm el Sheikh, working his way up to Acting Food & Beverage Manager. By 2002, after selling his car, Omar was ready to launch his own restaurant. Along with his wife Aliaa and his first 8 employees, Omar opened the first Makani restaurant in Sharm El Sheikh.