$25 million F&B cluster
ready for lease in Beit Mery

Project developed by owner of Le Charcutier

Jellyfish, a company founded by Joseph Aoun, the owner of ‘Le Charcutier’ supermarket chain, has completed ‘The Neighborhood’, a $25 million food and beverage (F&B) cluster in Beit Mery. The cluster is expected to open by next March or April after tenants complete interior decoration work. Once fully operational, it is expected to create more than 500 job opportunities.

The development includes 12 restaurants, three rooftop bars, a kids’ area, a beauty spa, and a fitness center. It also features a Le Charcutier supermarket, which opened in 2019 after the first part of the project was completed. The cluster has a built-up area of 17,000 square meters (m2) and was constructed on a 5,200 m2 plot.

According to Jimmy Ghazal, Managing Director of Jellyfish, the final phase of construction has just been completed. “There is high demand for renting the outlets,” he said, noting that several lease agreements are being finalized. Ghazal, who is also Senior Executive Advisor at Le Charcutier, explained that Jellyfish will earn a percentage of sales revenues from the businesses that will operate there.

The restaurants have a total indoor area of 1,700 m2 and an outdoor area of 1,000 m2. The rooftop bars cover an area of 1,000 m2 as well. The F&B outlets can accommodate up to 1,700 guests, according to Ghazal. Jellyfish is currently in talks with a number of well-known restaurant brands. The objective is to accomplish a diverse mix of diners, restaurants, and coffee shops serving different cuisines including Italian, Lebanese, sushi, in addition to burgers and other specialties.

Ghazal said that the company is still deciding whether to merge the beauty spa and fitness center into a single concept or keep them as separate outlets. Talks are also underway to lease the 750 m2 kids’ area to an educational company that plans to develop a new brand for the space.

He said the location of ‘The Neighborhood’ offers a major advantage since it allows the cluster to operate throughout the year and because Beit Mery and most of its surrounding towns are tourist destinations with a high population density.