With over 25 years of global experience spanning hospitality and FMCG, Wissam Baghdadi is a dynamic force in the Food & Beverage industry. His career is defined by a passion for operational excellence, creative concept development, and strategic brand building. Wissam specializes in launching and scaling F&B concepts internationally, helping businesses bridge the gap between vision and execution.

From high-growth startups to legacy brands entering new markets, Wissam’s expertise has enabled companies to overcome the challenges of market entry, scalability, and differentiation. He has led the development and adaptation of several restaurant and café concepts, guiding them from ideation to launch, optimization, and expansion.

His journey began in Sydney, Australia, at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in 1998, where he cultivated the grit and curiosity that would define his career. While studying, he worked in hospitality, laying the foundation for his deep operational insight. He later joined Emirates Airlines in Dubai, where his global exposure through in-flight services shaped his understanding of customer experience at scale.

In 2005, Wissam launched his first restaurant and never looked back. Since then, he has held leadership roles and driven business development for prominent global brands including Galler (Belgium), Fauchon (Paris), Cosi (USA), Ocean Basket (South Africa), Café Nero (UK), Teayana (KSA), and Del Monte (USA), where he served as Director of F&B and Business Incubation for North America.

Wissam is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Caffeine Lab, a rapidly growing coffee brand with a footprint across cafes, drive-thrus, e-commerce, training schools, and wholesale supply. At Caffeine Lab, he has implemented OGSM strategic planning, built growth-focused structures, and is leading the brand’s path toward significant expansion and investment readiness. Under his leadership, the company is targeting 30% growth in 2025 and scaling toward SAR 250M revenue within four years.

He is also the co-founder of MunchBooth,  

a next-generation food venture designed to revolutionize snacking and on-the-go dining. . MunchBooth is poised for rapid growth, with a five-year goal to deploy 1,000 booths and generate $219M+ in annual revenue.

In addition to his hands-on operational work, Wissam is the author of “The Food Cost Mastery,” a book designed to empower F&B professionals to unlock profitability by mastering food cost principles. The book has received strong support from the hospitality industry and academia, including his alma mater, BMIHMS.

Through Restauratomy, Wissam continues to consult for restaurants, cafés, and F&B startups globally—helping businesses design better systems, implement scalable models, and achieve operational excellence. His approach is rooted in real-world experience, data-backed strategy, and a passion for building sustainable F&B ventures that stand the test of time.

Over 21-Years of Professional Experience in Various Culinary Fields for hotels, fine dining, military catering, events-catering services, QSRs & FMCG in (6) countries, for (11) different institutions and currently serving 4 plus years in the United States of America, as Executive Chef & Product Development Manager for a Global Brand.

Active Senior Member of The Emirates Culinary Guild (World Association of Chefs Societies) & ACF. 

Certified Food Safety Manager NRFSP and Serve Safe Training Certificate holder.

Specializes in Pan-Asian and Regional Mediterranean Cuisines. 

High level of creativity in food styling, food photography, garnishing and ice carving.