Avesta Café

The French Taste
by Guy Martin

The judges this year picked two winners for the FAB Special Distinction Award.

Bitco’s Avesta Café at Erbil International Airport in Iraq is a first of its kind concept in its country, and faces considerable security and logistics challenges in a war-torn region. Almost all products are imported and are constantly subject to supply chain disruption. But this bar/café/ coffee concept has transformed the level of customer service and dining standards at Erbil International.

In its own words: “Our story sheds light on the struggles we as a team face on a daily basis being in close proximity to a very volatile economic situation. When you think about it, any wise man would advise thinking twice before setting up the business, but we took the bull by its horn and embraced the challenge.

“The success story behind Avesta is the commitment and hard work of every individual involved. What we lack in terms of product we make up for in terms of determination. Providing good quality food and beverage to passengers despite a challenging supply chain is enough to distract the slickest of the large F&B operators around the world.

“But spare a thought for this corner of Iraq, a country with huge challenges, we have brought to Erbil International Airport an international standard operation and offer and set a new standard for the rest of the country. Small yes, 1.5m passengers per annum is miniscule compared to many of the airports represented in these awards – but sometimes small can be beautiful and in Iraq, it can be positively gorgeous.”