Furahaa, a vegan fast-food chain based in France, has launched its first ever public fundraising campaign. The company hopes to raise €1 million via a secure platform, opening up 10% of its capital to the public.
The funding will enable Furahaa to expand its mini-franchise concept, Furahaa Express. The chain hopes to open at least 30 franchised restaurants in 2024 alone, based in compact containers containing a kitchen and extraction system. The aim is to make vegan food as widely accessible as possible, which will include expanding beyond France.
Furahaa also has a B2B arm, PlantB2B, which provides plant-based products to food service customers. Additionally, the company operates the vegan subscription box service ViVeg.
Founded by deaf entrepreneur Arthur Devillers, Furahaa works to provide job opportunities for disabled people, who typically have high rates of unemployment. All hearing employees are required to learn sign language.
International expansion plans
The first Furahaa restaurant opened in Paris in 2021, seeing rapid success despite the pandemic. Two more locations quickly followed, including a compact kiosk in Strasbourg that inspired the Express concept; the three sites recorded a turnover of €1 million over a six-month period. In May of that year, Furahaa received investment from Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed’s KBW Ventures.
In 2022, the chain announced international franchise plans, with the particular goal of entering London and Berlin. With the help of Prince Khaled, Furahaa also arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, launching on food delivery app HungerStation.
Furahaa’s menu includes a range of plant-based burgers, nuggets, and fries, along with breakfasts and desserts. Gluten-free options are also available.
“Our goal is to make sure that everyone can come and eat with us. Our products are intended for all people, regardless of religion, tradition, or diet. We really don’t want to exclude anyone,” Devillers told L’Officiel de la Franchise last year.
