A new type of chocolate bar that has gained prominence on social media is being stocked by EG On The Move, with Yoh Sweet’s ‘Dubai’ range being rolled out at 10 of the chain’s 150 forecourts.
Dubai chocolate came about in 2021 and began to gain popularity after being promoted by influencers on social media, most notably TikTok. Characterised by its deep filling of pistachio and knafeh, a traditional Arabic dessert, the bars remain in high demand.
Fuzail Patel, whose family business operates four forecourts as well a chain of burger and dessert restaurants, developed his own version of the bars after seeing their rise on social media.
“We saw it kicking off and thought we would have a go, so we decided to create our version”, says Patel. “We wanted to get a high-value product on our till points and generate some sales.”
The chocolate proved a hit at his own outlets, with an average of 30 of the £6.50 bars being sold at each of his forecourts, and just under 8,000 transactions from his online store. This success prompted Patel to approach other operators. “We created this for our petrol stations to boost sales, now we’re going to other firms saying ‘you can benefit from this as well,” he explains.
While Patel initially looked to outsource production of the bar to a contractor, the firms he approached weren’t able to make it at scale. “It took us some time, and we had to invest in some machinery and kitchen setup, then slowly but surely we started developing it.”
Getting into EG On The Move also “took some time”, Patel says, and while the bars have been in the 10 EG sites for less than a month, they seem to be doing well so far. “We already had some re-orders, which is a good sign.”
As well as the pistachio filling traditionally associated with Dubai chocolate, the Yoh bars are available in Biscotti, Cookies and Cream, and White Hazelnut flavours.
And in addition to boosting revenue for Patel, the bars have other benefits, as staff at his forecourts are actively encouraged to upsell the chocolate, improving customer relations. “It’s a good way of getting cashiers to talk to customers; it improves that experience, and breaks the ice,” he explains.
