Fanoos Bangalore Opens First International Outlet in Karama, Dubai — India's Most Iconic Seekh Kebab Brand Marks 50 Years With a Historic Global Debut
After half a century of perfecting the seekh roll in Bangalore's lanes, the legendary Fanoos has crossed the Arabian Sea — bringing smoke, spice, and soul to the heart of Dubai's South Asian community.
Hundreds of Bangaloreans and food lovers lined up outside the newly opened Fanoos outlet in Karama, Dubai, on its grand opening night. — Photo: DGN HD TV / Fanoos
Dubai, UAE: In a moment that sent waves of nostalgia through the Indian diaspora across the Gulf, Fanoos Bangalore — one of India's most beloved and enduring street food institutions — officially opened its first international outlet in the Karama neighbourhood of Dubai on 6th April 2026. The grand opening marks a historic milestone for the 50-year-old brand, which was founded in 1975 by the late Ajaz Khan in Richmond Town, Bangalore, and has spent five decades building one of the most fiercely loyal fan bases in Indian fast food history.
The Fanoos Dubai launch was not merely a restaurant opening — it was a cultural homecoming. Hundreds of Bangaloreans, long settled in the UAE, gathered at the Karama outlet on Umm Hurair Street well before the doors opened, many having tracked the brand's international announcement for weeks. For them, Fanoos is not just food. It is the taste of school evenings, college nights, late-night drives, and memories soaked in the smoke of a seekh grill. And now, for the first time, they could have it without boarding a flight.
Why Dubai? The Vision Behind the International Move
For Nasir Hussain, the son of Fanoos founder Ajaz Khan and the man now leading the brand into its next chapter, the decision to launch in Dubai was driven less by market data and more by a sense of duty to the Bangalorean community abroad. Week after week, messages poured in from Bangaloreans living in the UAE — people who had grown up eating Fanoos rolls after school, who had proposed to their partners near the Hosur Road outlet, and who deeply missed the one taste that no Dubai restaurant could replicate.
"Every week, I would get messages from Bangaloreans in Dubai asking when we were coming. These are people who grew up on our rolls, who got their first Rambo on the way home from school. Dubai was not just an opportunity — it was a responsibility. Our people are there. And they deserve the real thing."
— Nasir Hussain, CEO & Steward, Fanoos Bangalore
The choice of Karama as the launch location was deliberate and deeply considered. The neighbourhood has long served as the cultural heartland of the South Asian diaspora in Dubai — a vibrant, densely populated area where the aromas of biryani and kebab drift through the streets, where Kannada, Tamil, Urdu, and Hindi are spoken side by side, and where the immigrant experience is woven into the very fabric of daily life. Hussain described the area simply: "Karama feels like Bangalore to me. The energy, the people, the hunger for something real. This is our home in Dubai."
Karama is home to one of Dubai's largest and most established South Asian communities, making it the natural first location for a brand whose identity is rooted in the Indian street food experience. The neighbourhood's cultural familiarity and high foot traffic from the Indian diaspora made it the ideal launchpad for Fanoos's international expansion.
The Grand Opening Night: When Bangalore Came to Dubai
The scene outside the Fanoos Dubai outlet on opening night was unlike anything the neighbourhood had witnessed in recent memory. The queue stretched down Umm Hurair Street, filled with families, bachelors, couples, and elderly residents who had heard of Fanoos for years through relatives back in India. The atmosphere was electric — stories were shared, old memories surfaced, and a palpable sense of anticipation filled the warm Dubai evening.
When the first seekh rolls came off the grill — still wrapped in the same gossamer-thin roomali roti, still finished with a precise squeeze of fresh lime — the reaction was immediate and deeply emotional. Grown men closed their eyes at the first bite. Some women texted family members back in Bangalore with a single word: "Same." That one word — "same" — may be the most powerful testament to what Fanoos has built over fifty years. Through franchise growth, generational handovers, and now an international leap across continents and oceans, the flavour has not moved a millimetre.
The legendary Fanoos seekh roll — made from freshly minced meat, grilled over high heat, and wrapped in hand-pulled roomali roti — is now available in Dubai for the very first time. — Photo: DGN HD TV / Fanoos
Fifty Years of the Same Perfect Seekh Roll
The story of Fanoos begins in 1975, when Ajaz Khan set up a modest counter in Richmond Town, Bangalore. The name Fanoos — meaning the ornate lanterns that illuminate homes during the holy month of Ramzan — was chosen to reflect the warmth, light, and sense of gathering that Khan wanted his food to embody. From the very beginning, Fanoos was among the first establishments in Bangalore to introduce the concept of quality fast food: made fresh, made fast, and made with absolute consistency.
The core of the Fanoos menu has always been the seekh kebab roll. Freshly minced meat — spiced with a proprietary blend refined over five decades — is grilled over high heat and tucked into hand-pulled roomali roti so thin it is nearly translucent. The result is a roll that is at once crisp and soft, smoky and fresh, deeply spiced yet remarkably clean on the palate. The menu has since grown to include biryanis, Irani-style kebabs, and shawarmas, but it is the seekh roll that remains the soul and the signature of the brand.
🔥 Fanoos at a Glance — Key Facts
- 📅 Founded: 1975, Richmond Town, Bangalore, by the late Ajaz Khan
- 🌍 International Debut: Karama, Dubai, UAE — April 2026
- 🥙 Signature Item: Seekh Kebab Roll in hand-pulled roomali roti
- 🍽️ Iconic Roll Sizes: Rambo, Shambo, Mambo, Mogambo
- 🏬 Outlets: 5 in India (Bangalore, Kochi) + 1 international (Dubai)
- ✅ Halal Certified: All food is halal-certified
- 👤 Current Steward: Nasir Hussain (son of founder)
- 🤝 Regional Partner: Mohammed Zaid, Espada Group (UAE)
The Roll Sizes That Became a Rite of Passage
Among the many things that have made Fanoos a cultural phenomenon in Bangalore is its legendary system of roll sizes, each named with an irresistible flair. The Rambo has long been the starter choice for new visitors, while the Shambo and Mambo cater to heartier appetites. Then there is the crown jewel: the Mogambo — named after the iconic Bollywood villain from the classic 1987 film Mr. India — a towering, meal-in-one creation that has become a bucket list item for food lovers across Bangalore. For generations of Bangaloreans, working your way up to the Mogambo is more than a meal. It is a milestone. Now, that rite of passage is available to the entire Indian diaspora in the UAE.
"We have never chased a trend. We just wake up every day and try to make the same perfect seekh roll my father made. That is the whole secret."
— Nasir Hussain, Fanoos Bangalore
Expansion Plans: The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Beyond
The Karama opening is the first step in what Hussain describes as an ambitious but careful expansion across the Gulf region and beyond. In the UAE, Fanoos is actively scouting prominent mall locations in Dubai, with a flagship mall-format outlet planned for later in 2026. Talks are also underway for expansion into Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, which would extend Fanoos's reach to the full breadth of the Emirates and its diverse South Asian population.
This next phase of UAE growth is being driven in partnership with Mohammed Zaid of the Espada Group, a regional brand development and market entry specialist whose expertise will position Fanoos for a scaled and strategic rollout across the Gulf. The partnership brings together Fanoos's deep brand equity and product authenticity with Espada's knowledge of the regional consumer landscape — a combination that sets the stage for sustained, long-term growth.
Looking further afield, Saudi Arabia is firmly on the roadmap. With a massive and rapidly growing Indian diaspora, cities including Riyadh and Jeddah have been identified as priority markets, with entry targeted for 2027. And for the hundreds of thousands of Bangaloreans and other Indian-origin residents in the United States — many of whom have followed Fanoos's story from afar for decades — the wait may soon be over. Hussain confirmed that feasibility studies are currently underway for a US entry, with New York, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area all under active consideration.
| Location | Market | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karama, Dubai | UAE | April 2026 | ✅ Live |
| Dubai Malls (Flagship) | UAE | Late 2026 | 🔄 Planned |
| Abu Dhabi & Sharjah | UAE | 2026–2027 | 🔄 In Talks |
| Riyadh & Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 2027 | 🔄 Planned |
| New York, Houston, Bay Area | United States | 2027–2028 | 🔍 Under Study |
"We are not in a rush. We expanded to five outlets in Bangalore over fifty years because we wanted every single one to be right. We will bring Fanoos to the world the same way — one city at a time, one perfect seekh roll at a time."
— Nasir Hussain, CEO, Fanoos Bangalore
A Legacy Built on Consistency — What Fanoos Means to Its Community
What separates Fanoos from the dozens of Bangalore eateries that have come and gone over five decades is a quality that is almost impossible to manufacture: emotional resonance. The brand has become a thread woven through the personal histories of multiple generations. Families have been eating Fanoos rolls for thirty, forty, even fifty years. Children introduced to the Rambo by their parents now bring their own children. Couples whose first date involved a shared Mogambo now return to mark anniversaries. For Bangaloreans in Dubai, many of whom have been separated from home for years, the arrival of Fanoos in Karama carries a weight that goes far beyond the pleasure of a good meal.
It is, at its heart, a piece of home — unmistakable, unchanged, and now finally within reach.
About Fanoos Bangalore
Founded in 1975 by the late Ajaz Khan in Richmond Town, Bangalore, Fanoos is one of India's most iconic fast food and kebab institutions. Named after the lanterns of Ramzan, the brand has spent fifty years perfecting the seekh kebab roll and building a devoted following across Bangalore, Kochi, and now Dubai, UAE. All food is halal-certified. Expansion into malls across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the United States is planned through 2026–2028. The brand's international growth is being led in partnership with the Espada Group, UAE.