Native Markets Ltd., the holding company for The Bakery Shop, has acquired a majority stake in The Four Fat Ladies, a dessert shop offering American desserts in Egypt. This partnership will allow TFL to expand its brand and reach more customers while leveraging TBS's existing infrastructure. Sameh El-Sadat of NML said the partnership will help both companies grow and expand their success in Egypt and the region. Heba Shunbo of TFL said she is excited to join forces with NML for greater growth while staying true to TFL's brand values and classic desserts. The deal was facilitated by Springboard Investment Management to bring together leading brands in their categories.

1. For Immediate Release:
TBS announces its partnership with The Four Fat Ladies
Cairo, Egypt – June 28, 2015 – Native Markets Ltd. (NML), the
holding company for The Bakery Shop (TBS), successfully concludes
the acquisition of a majority stake in The Four Fat Ladies (TFFL*), a
young and upcoming desserts shop business, offering a wide range
of authentic American desserts in Egypt. This partnership is the
latest milestone in NML’s growth strategy, whereby the rationale is
to add an award-winning brand to the portfolio, leverage the
current infrastructure to support its scalability, and synergistically
develop both brands together.
TFFL currently offers a wide range of unique repertoire of desserts
ranging from chewy cookies to delectable brownies, cakes and their
famous cheesecake. Their speciality is traditional American desserts
and pastries; made according to recipes, passed down through
generations and perfected over time. Their products are a treat for
the connoisseur and a special experience for the newcomer. The
addition of TFFL to NML brings with it best-in-class know-how in the
art of dessert making which is expected to take the Group to the
next level of customer experience enhancement.
Sameh El-Sadat, Co-Founding Partner and Chief Investment Officer
at NML, commented on the rationale of the partnership saying “The
Four Fat Ladies provides us with a new roll out strategy, in addition
to the dessert know-how needed to complement the existing
platform. The entrepreneurial experience garnered by TFFL’s
founders allows them to lead a successful brand that would
spearhead the desserts scene alongside TBS locally as well as
regionally. Our decision to acquire TFFL and support its growth
underscores our direction to expand on the success story of TBS by
partnering up with promising brands and dedicated teams. We are
delighted to have TFFL as our companions in this exciting journey
and we look forward to our cooperation in growing the Group
together”
Furthermore, Heba Shunbo, one of TFFL Co-Founders, said: “After
growing The Four Fat Ladies for two years, we are excited to be part
of a bigger team and join forces with NML for an even bigger story.
We are confident that the synergies between the two entities will be
mutually beneficial. This new partnership will allow TFFL to reach a
wider target market, while remaining true to the core values of our
brand. We take pride in creating simple all American classic desserts
that we’ve developed throughout the years, one that our customers
recognize and remain loyal to.”
This partnership is a result of Springboard Investment Management
Ltd.’s (Springboard) efforts to bring together the best brands in their
respective categories and to support NML’s growth strategy. Gamal
Guemeih, Co-Founder of Springboard Investment Management Ltd.,
said, “We believe that this deal is a match made in baked goods
heaven. On one hand, the unique skills of TFFL’s founders, the
outstanding quality of its products and its captivating brand
personality makes TFFL a unique opportunity for Native Markets Ltd.
to expand into new areas and solidify its position as the owner of
the leading baked goods brands in Egypt.” This deal represents a
new milestone in Springboard’s continuous efforts to build value-
creating partnerships and endeavour to support aspiring brands and
companies that raise the bar in their respective space to cater to the
demands and expectations of a growingly conscious customer base.
About Native Markets Ltd. (NML)
NML is the holding company created to own Delicious Bakery for
Food and Beverage and Rihanna for Advanced Food Industries. Both
companies were founded in 2008 with the vision to build a high end
retail bakery chain in Egypt, under the brand name of TBS (The
Bakery Shop).
Over the past few years, NML has grown to own and operate over
23 retail bakery stores in Cairo and Alexandria, under three main
business lines: TBS standalone shops, Delicious Bakery in-store
shops and TBS express shops in partnership with TOTAL gas stations.
In addition, the company provides catering and B2B bread supplies
to third party players in the Egyptian market.
About The Four Fat Ladies (TFFL)
TFFL was founded in 2012 by three sisters; Nira Shunbo, Sherine
Shunbo, and Heba Shunbo who are incredibly passionate about
sharing their signature desserts.
Over the years, The Four Fat Ladies have created and perfected a
wide range of desserts, from chewy chocolate chip cookies to their
gooey salted caramel brownies, layered naked cakes and their
famous cheesecake. TFFL specializes in traditional American
desserts.
About Springboard Investment Management Ltd. (SPBD)
Springboard Investment Management Ltd. (SPBD) is a young
investment company that serves as a regional launch pad for small
and medium-scale businesses in a variety of industries in the Middle
East and North African bloc. The company seeks to create a n
alliance of young entrepreneurs who are of advanced calibre and
possess diverse professional backgrounds to identify and develop
valuable investment opportunities. SPBD adopts a Management
Buy-in model by which it contributes human and financial capital to
investee companies and rally all the possible tools needed for its
growth and success. The company also focuses on the creation and
replication of successful business models that leverage natural
resources of the region, and serve developing needs of its
communities. SPBD primarily provides patient and value added
capital to high growth companies with competent management
teams to take them to the next level.
For More Information please contact:
Nira Shunbo / Co-Founder
The Four Fat Ladies LLC.
5 El Shaheed Sobhy Nasr, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: +2.012.222.97272
Email: nira@thefourfatladies.com
Sameh El-Sadat / Chief Investment Officer
Native Markets Ltd.
5 El-Shaheed Sobhy Nasr, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: +2.0100.966.6598
Email: sameh.elsadat@tbsegypt.com
.