Foodics Doubles Down on Cultivating Young Talent with Foodics Folks Internship Program

Foodics has wrapped up the third edition of its annual “Foodics Folks” summer internship programme, doubling down on its effort to back young talent and strengthen Egypt’s food and beverage scene.

The month-long initiative, aimed at university students aged 18 to 21, blends corporate exposure with real restaurant experience. It’s a hybrid model that, to be fair, makes a lot of sense. Too often, students get theory in lecture halls and very little idea of what actually happens on the ground. This programme tries to bridge that gap — and from what we’ve seen at Arageek over the years, these early touches with the industry can make all the difference.

The first two weeks took place at Foodics’ Egypt office. Interns rotated across teams including People Operations, Sales Coordination, Marketing, Accounting, Customer Onboarding, Software Engineering, Customer Success, Performance Marketing, and even AI & Data Science. It wasn’t just shadowing for the sake of it. Participants were given a front-row seat to how technology, finance, and operations intersect to help restaurants grow and digitise. For many young students, I reckon seeing how an AI & Data Science team supports a restaurant business must have been quite an eye-opener.

Then came the real heat of the kitchen — well… not only the kitchen, but the full restaurant ecosystem. During the second half of the programme, interns were placed with a mix of Foodics-powered restaurant partners including Abou Shakra, Vasko, Maine, Canelé Patisserie, Takosan, Karak Boy, Hird’s, Süss, and Sno. There, they experienced day-to-day operations up close, from customer service and workflow management to the nitty-gritty of how tech tools keep things running smoothly.

I’ve always believed that hospitality looks glamorous from the outside, but behind the scenes it can be a bit of a whirlwind. Understanding that rhythm early on is worth its weight in gold. And believe it or not, many startups in the F&B sector still struggle to find graduates who understand both service and systems. Programmes like this feel spot on for closing that gap.

Soft skills were also high on the agenda. Communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving — the bread and butter of any successful career. These aren’t flashy buzzwords, but in my experience they’re what separate those who sink from those who swim in fast-moving industries like F&B.

Belal Zahran, Chief Revenue Officer at Foodics, said the company was proud to conclude the third edition following strong demand and the positive impact of previous years. He noted that the initiative reflects Foodics’ commitment to helping students transition from academic life into professional environments, equipping them with the mindset and skills needed to lead the F&B industry in the future.

Zahran added that when Foodics Folks first launched two years ago, structured, hands-on opportunities within the F&B sector were limited. Today, he pointed out, more institutions are investing in similar programmes — a shift he sees as part of a broader movement to support young talent and build a more sustainable hospitality industry.

A notable element of this year’s edition was its focus on technology. Through both office and restaurant placements, students were introduced to the digital tools powering modern food businesses. From intuitive point-of-sale systems to data-driven performance insights, the message was clear: restaurateurs who ignore tech do so at their own peril. I’m not a fan of jargon-heavy talk about “digital transformation”, but in this case it’s pretty clear-cut — streamlined systems save time, reduce errors, and help businesses scale without it becoming a complete faf.

As Egypt’s F&B market continues to evolve, initiatives like Foodics Folks highlight how startups and industry players are investing in people, not just platforms. For young Egyptians curious about hospitality and entrepreneurship, that’s definately a welcome sign. And for the wider ecosystem, it shows that nurturing talent early isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential.

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