The Man Who Brought Pinkberry Back to Lebanon: Brain Bites SAL Managing Partner Khalil Khamis on Building an F&B Powerhouse

Khalil Khamis, Managing Partner of Brain Bites SAL, discusses the company’s ambitions to build a new-generation F&B platform in Lebanon, beginning with the return of Pinkberry.

By Wissam Younane | Sep 10, 2026

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Khalil Khamis, Managing Partner of Brain Bites SAL

Founded in 2024, Brain Bites SAL entered Lebanon’s food and beverage sector with an ambitious proposition: to build a modern F&B operator capable of bringing established international concepts to the market while developing a platform for sustained growth.

Its first major move was securing the master franchise for Pinkberry in Lebanon and relaunching the frozen yogurt brand in the country. For Managing Partner Khalil Khamis, however, Pinkberry represents the starting point rather than the destination.

“I was a loyal Pinkberry customer long before I was a franchisee. When the brand closed in Lebanon during the economic crisis, I genuinely missed it, and that personal craving turned into a professional pursuit,” Khamis says. “I came into the F&B industry with zero prior experience, so earning Pinkberry’s trust to operate the brand here wasn’t easy. What got me there was persistence, showing them the passion I had for the brand and proving I wouldn’t give up until it happened.

“And then, we’re a young, ambitious and dynamic team with a clear goal: to become the leading F&B operator in the country,” Khamis adds.

He relaunched Pinkberry in 2024, during a period of conflict in Lebanon, and describes the experience as “one of the hardest things you can do in this industry.”

“We relaunched during one period of conflict, then opened three more locations during a second,” Khamis says.

“Living and building a business in a country that’s this unstable teaches you something important: when you believe in the brand, in yourself, and in your country, you don’t stop.

“Managing through periods of conflict means constantly reassessing costs, protecting margins, and most importantly, making sure every one of our employees is safe. That discipline has become part of how we operate day to day, not just in a crisis.”

“And when you succeed despite the conditions, it means something bigger than the business itself.

“Lebanese people live on edge, and giving them a positive, consistent experience, even in small moments, helps them forget that for a while.”

For Khamis, the most rewarding part of building Brain Bites has been seeing the response to Pinkberry’s return to Lebanon, particularly from customers who had missed the brand for years. “Watching the reaction the first time someone tastes Pinkberry again after years of missing it — that’s the moment that makes it all worth it,” he says. With the brand now operating across nine locations, he adds that creating something people genuinely look forward to, and delivering that experience consistently, has been “the most rewarding part of this whole journey.”

With that foundation in place, Brain Bites is now looking beyond the launch of individual concepts toward building a broader portfolio, and positioning itself for the next phase of Lebanon’s evolving F&B landscape. “I think in terms of a portfolio, not a single brand,” Khamis says when asked on how he evaluates a new franchise brand to bring into Lebanon. “The ambition is to build a complete food court experience -coffee, lunch, dessert, everything- under one roof. So when I evaluate a new brand, I’m looking for something I genuinely believe in and that fits an operating model we can execute at a high standard.”

Brain Bites now operates nine locations across Lebanon, but Khamis says the company’s headquarters and systems have been designed from the outset to support multiple brands, allowing the team to open new locations or introduce new franchises quickly and reliably. Yet, he points out that the speed is not intended to come at the expense of the customer experience. “Consistency starts with the system, not the storefront,” he says. “Whether it’s our first location or our ninth, we hold every store to the same standard, so customers get the exact same Pinkberry experience wherever they walk in. That’s what lets us grow fast without ever cutting corners.”

Looking ahead, Brain Bites is continuing to expand Pinkberry while already exploring its next move, with discussions underway to bring a second franchise to the Lebanese market. “Growth doesn’t pause for us; we keep building, even in difficult periods,” Khamis says.

While opportunities beyond Lebanon remain on his radar, his immediate priority is firmly at home. “Right now, my focus is on my country. But I see myself not just as an operator, but as a partner and representative of every brand I bring in — their success is my success. That mindset naturally extends outward, and exploring other markets is always in the back of my mind.”

Ultimately, however, Khamis’ ambitions extend beyond building a portfolio of successful F&B brands. They are rooted in a broader vision for what Lebanon itself can offer consumers in the country and across the region. “I don’t want Lebanese people to have to travel to experience the world’s best franchises. I want to bring those experiences here, because we deserve them. And beyond that, I want the region around us to come to Lebanon to try these brands first.”

It is this belief in Lebanon’s potential that also shapes Khamis’ advice to other entrepreneurs looking to enter the F&B franchise space.

“Be ambitious, and have the resolve to pursue what you believe in, even in a country where instability is the norm. Take the first step anyway, and always keep looking forward,” he says.

And for Khamis, that optimism extends well beyond Brain Bites itself. “I believe Lebanon has a bright future ahead, and it’s on us, as Lebanese, to keep working toward it.”