Dubai-based hospitality consultants Thomas Klein International (TKI) has won its first international operations management contract from El Seref Tourism and Hospitality group in Sudan.

As per the contract, TKI will take over the management of the 35,000 sq ft food destination El Seref complex located in the Omdurman area of Khartoum, overlooking the confluence of the Blue and White Nile.

The El Seref complex will encompass three distinct food and beverage outlets, offering a range of different cuisines in one convenient location, said a TKI statement.

The Dubai group said it was originally appointed to manage El Seref’s pre-opening as well as the design of the technical kitchen and back-of-house area.

After successfully managing the various aspects of the preopening period, TKI has now been assigned the management of the complex, said a top official.

Commenting on the win, Daniel During, the TKI principal and managing director said, “For years, TKI has operated internationally as a highly successful hospitality consultancy and design firm, and the company has also managed many businesses locally under management contracts.

“We have now reached a new milestone by securing the additional scope of services for the El Seref complex, as it is our first overseas management contract, and it is also the largest fully indoor and air conditioned restaurant operating in Africa,” he stated.

The largest of the three restaurants will be called Al Housh, and is based on a traditional Sudanese market concept. The outlet will feature 25 live cooking stations and stalls selling fresh produce, and will have a seating capacity of 600.

The complex will also feature the first Cilantro Cafe in Sudan, which is part of a popular Egyptian coffee shop franchise, and will be able to seat 250 diners.

The aptly named “Third Space”, will be the smallest of the three outlets with 150 seats, and will serve both sushi and pasta, which are firm favourites the world over.

“Combined, the three restaurants located in El Seref will have the capacity to seat over 1,000 customers simultaneously, and we are planning to hire over 300 employees to staff the restaurants,” added During.

The El Seref complex is scheduled to open in mid-August this year, with Al Housh and Cilantro due to open just in time for Eid Al Fitr. The Third Space is due to open later near the end of 2012.

“We are definitely creating history in Sudan by launching such an ambitious project, and for a development of this magnitude we have to make sure we have the right partners in place,” remarked Abdel Rahim El Sadig, the general manager of El Seref Tourism and Hospitality.

“We are very pleased to have TKI on board this significant development, and we look forward to a very successful partnership,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service