Costa Mazzis is the chief executive and founder of Barcelos, a South African chain of restaurants that is expanding into the Emirates.
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Back to business
During a recent trip to Dubai he talked about how the company's corporate strategy included holding a family secret, and why his sons are not ready to know the truth - yet.
Your recent opening in Dubai marks your 99th outlet. How did your restaurant get started?
Barcelos was a family restaurant that I started in South Africa in 1994. I was doing it alone. My two boys, 29 and 25, have joined me. My one son runs operations in the UK. The second runs the regional base in Cape Town.
Besides Africa, you've also expanded into Singapore, London and Canada. Yet this is your first push into the GCC, where you plan to open 15 eateries in three years. Why start in Dubai against so many competitors?
Yes, needless to say, it's a fairly saturated market. It remains a market for us diehard restaurateurs. There's so much demand for quality food in this country, so it's nice to know if your brand can stand up in Dubai it can stand up anywhere in the world.
You credit your restaurant's success to a secret marinade that's made in South Africa and then exported globally. Had you always intended its ingredients to be kept secret?
Without a doubt. It's something we protect very dearly. It was made by me and one of my partners that is still with us today. We used to mix the spices ourselves. We then sourced it out and created a confidentiality agreement with the firm that does it.
Companies such as Coca-Cola have built their success on secret recipes. How does a company like yours keep that hidden?
What we've done is we've put our recipe in an escrow account. We did that many years ago in a particular law firm, whereby if certain things happen the recipe is disclosed to certain other people. Two people know at the moment: myself and the partner who joined me about two years after I started the brand.
So who's next in line to learn the recipe?
I've got another two people who know they are the next to be exposed to it. They've been with us for 10 and seven years. They know it's coming, but it's not time as of yet.
But they're not your sons. Many businesses in the region are led by fathers who want family members to take over one day. Where do you stand?
I'd only be privileged to have my two boys follow in my footsteps. They're still young. In 10, 15 years from now, my sons may be able to do the rest of what we do. In the meantime, we groom them. They have a long way to go before they can either know the recipe or run the company.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Results
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