Marrakech – The French fast-food brand BiG M has opened its first restaurant in Tangier, marking the chain’s entry into the Moroccan market and what it describes as the start of a broader African expansion strategy.
Founded in 2019 in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis, by entrepreneurs Mehdi Bella and Yaniss Ourabia – both previously active in the textile and perfume sectors – BiG M built its concept around halal burgers inspired by recipes from established chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Quick, and KFC, served under one roof at lower price points.
The Tangier opening is structured as a partnership with Moroccan investors and relies entirely on local staff.
The company says its role extends beyond selling burgers, citing commitments to local youth employment, transferring European operational expertise, and maintaining a strict supply chain for ingredient freshness and traceability. Tangier was chosen for its status as a growing economic hub.
Co-founder Mehdi Bella, a Moroccan national living abroad, said a year ago when announcing the expansion that “opening a BiG M restaurant in Tangier is an immense source of pride,” adding that he wanted the brand to become part of Moroccans’ daily lives, as it has in France.
BiG M’s commercial pitch centers on affordability. The chain’s signature offer is a “double menu” – two main items such as two burgers, or a burger and nuggets – with fries and a drink, priced roughly one euro below comparable meals at major competitors. The company says its Moroccan pricing will reflect local purchasing power.
The brand also differentiates through product innovation, including the Bao Burger, as well as wrap options with curry and tandoori flavors. In France, a blind taste test aired on TF1’s Sept à Huit program found that 90% of participants preferred BiG M’s recipe over those of its competitors, according to the company.
By late October 2024, BiG M operated 64 restaurants across France – 55 franchised and nine company-owned – after reporting nearly €42 million in revenue in 2023 with 53 locations. The chain has been expanding at roughly 20 new openings per year and was targeting one to two per week by the end of 2024.
Internationally, the brand already operates two restaurants in Senegal. Morocco is intended to follow the same model, with future openings planned in Casablanca and Rabat.
The company has stated its goal of making Morocco a strategic platform for continental expansion. BiG M’s franchise model runs on a five-year contract, with an entry fee of €30,000 excluding tax and a minimum personal investment requirement of €130,000.
Alongside its Moroccan push, BiG M has announced plans to acquire the master franchise rights for Fatburger, the American burger chain.
The company indicated the acquisition would allow it to reposition the brand around quality and what it called a “better eating” philosophy, in line with BiG M’s own approach.
Beyond Morocco, the chain is also eyeing entry into Spain and three other unspecified countries as part of a broader international rollout.