Finding a special place that you can habitually visit helps to relax and refresh your mind. For Zayed Al Falahi, that place is his own cafe. At the west entrance of Marina Mall, the C House Lounge Cafe stands out with its stylish decor.
The mottos of the Italian franchise are to serve the best coffee and provide a good atmosphere with delicious food and a memorable vibe.
“There are more than 40 C Houses around the world,” says Al Falahi. “They are very popular. I have been to the one in Milan.”
Before deciding on his first business, Al Falahi did in-depth research to make sure that the restaurant business was really his passion. During his breaks while working at Abu Dhabi Marina Operating Company, he would go to C House on Khalifa Street to relax. He’d been to many coffee shops, but C House was always top of the list. It was for this reason he decided to open a franchise.
There are currently three C House branches in Abu Dhabi; the others are on Khalifa Street and Muroor Road. Al Falahi chose Marina Mall because it’s a popular destination with visitors of all nationalities. “There was no ‘lounge’ in Marina Mall,” he says. “C House is a place where people can sit and eat quietly.”
With the business now one year old, the Adnoc senior business-planning analyst has done his own survey to determine the level of customer satisfaction. So far, he says, he’s succeeded in his mission. “Customer satisfaction is important to me,” he says.
Al Falahi has also worked hard to make the menu appeal to all tastes. “We included new dishes in the menu to suit local and international cultures,” he says.
Frequent customers will be familiar with seeing Al Falahi sipping his favourite coffee. The place has a special place in his heart; he makes sure to visit it almost every day to ensure that everything is going according to plan.
What's your favourite dish in your cafe?
I love seafood, but there is a salad named after me. The salad contains potato, black olives, mozzarella, pickles, cherry tomatoes, arugula and lettuce. A few ingredients – potato and pickles – didn’t suit my taste, so I asked to substitute them with other ingredients. I eat this salad often, so some employees gave it my name.
What are your priorities for C House?
I have a lot of ideas. With the support of my team, I continuously try to improve the quality of service and we also try to create new food items every now and then.
Apart from your cafe, where do you like to relax?
Nowhere except C House. I like to sit there and refresh my mind.
What are your hobbies?
I like travelling. I like going to Germany, Italy and London.
What's your motto?
I follow [the motto] where there is a will, there is a way. You can’t achieve anything in life without struggling. The more you face hurdles, the stronger you should become.
What are your plans for C House?
I want to advertise the cafe around Marina Mall, because the location might seem a little difficult to find for some people.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
I am working on two businesses; both are related to food. I’d rather keep the rest confidential, but soon they will see the light.
What's your favourite coffee?
I like several: single-shot espresso, latte and caffè macchiato.
How much coffee do you drink daily?
About six to eight cups.
Who is your role model?
That would be Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.
What's your favourite book?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
What’s your favourite sport?
Diving.
aalhameli@thenational.ae
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
