New Businesses & Openings to Know in Faisalabad

TL;DR

• 🍽️ Khayyam The Food Pavilion on West Canal Road has become the city's most talked-about dining destination
• 🏙️ The Grand Central Mall on Canal Road is redefining what retail looks like in Faisalabad
• 🥘 Zam Zam Restaurant in Kohinoor City launched with a broad menu spanning traditional, Chinese, and continental
• 🍗 Kababjees — a name established in Lahore — has now opened on Canal Road
• ✅ Confirm details before you go

Faisalabad's Dining Scene Is Moving at Speed

Pakistan's third-largest city has spent the past year adding an unusually large number of new dining venues, concentrated along its Canal Road corridor. The growth is partly driven by new mixed-use commercial developments and partly by a food culture that has fully embraced experience-focused hospitality concepts.

Khayyam The Food Pavilion, which launched on West Canal Road in 2025, has built a strong reputation quickly. The restaurant is rated 5.0 on TripAdvisor and sits among the top-ranked restaurants in Faisalabad. Its kitchen covers a wide range — from Chicken Biryani and Beef Haleem to Palak Paneer and Peshawari Mutton — the kind of menu that works for a group with different preferences. The interior has become a draw in itself, described consistently as one of the most visually striking dining spaces in the city.

Zam Zam Restaurant, operating in the Kohinoor City area (D Ground), has positioned itself differently: fewer design theatrics, more focus on an atmosphere described as "royal and aesthetic." The menu runs from traditional Pakistani staples to Chinese dishes and continental options, making it versatile for family visits and business meals alike. Confirm details before you go, as hours and reservation options can vary.

Insider Tip: The Canal Road strip gets extremely busy Thursday and Friday evenings. If you are planning to visit Khayyam The Food Pavilion or Kababjees on a weekend night, arrive before 8 PM or expect to wait. Calling ahead to check availability is worth the effort.

Canal Road Is Becoming Faisalabad's Commercial Spine

If you have not visited Canal Road recently, the scale of what is underway may be surprising. Two major commercial developments have reached significant milestones:

The Grand Central Mall, located on Canal Road, has been designed to international standards with a shopping mall, corporate office space, upscale residences, and a premium hotel in one development. It is being positioned as the largest and most-visited commercial destination in the city — a different tier of retail than what Faisalabad has previously had. Visit tgcmall.pk for the current store directory and operational updates.

Emporium Mall Faisalabad, the Nishat Group project, is built on the former Rafhan Mills site near Abdullahpur Underpass. At 18.5 acres it will be the largest mall in the city once fully open. The Nishat Group's track record with Emporium in Lahore lends this project credibility that a completely new developer would take years to earn.

Both developments are changing how Canal Road functions — less of a throughway and more of a destination in itself. Confirm details before you go on any specific shopping trip, as individual tenants and opening phases can still shift.

Kababjees Arrives from Lahore

Kababjees is a name long associated with Lahore's dining scene, and its arrival on Faisalabad's Canal Road is significant for anyone who has spent years making the trip north for this food. The franchise brings a tested formula — grilled meats, traditional preparations — to a city that has been asking for it.

It joins a Canal Road dining cluster that already includes Khayyam The Food Pavilion, and the competition between these establishments seems to be producing better food and service across the board. The road now functions as an evening destination strip in a way it did not even three years ago.

What Is Driving the Expansion?

Faisalabad's business growth is not accidental. The city has consistently been one of Pakistan's fastest-growing urban economies, built on its textile sector but diversifying steadily. As middle-class spending power has grown, food, retail, and entertainment have followed. The 1,063 restaurants counted in Faisalabad as of early 2026 represent a nearly 2.5 percent increase from 2023 — and the Canal Road cluster is the most visible face of that trend.

The pattern being established — high-design dining experiences alongside large mixed-use commercial developments — mirrors what happened along Lahore's DHA and Gulberg corridors a decade ago. Faisalabad is following a similar trajectory at its own pace, and the recent additions suggest that pace is accelerating.

FAQ

Q: Is The Grand Central Mall fully open? A: The mall has been opening in phases. Visit tgcmall.pk or check their social media for the current list of open tenants and operational status. Confirm details before you go.

Q: Does Khayyam The Food Pavilion take reservations? A: Based on reviews, the restaurant accommodates bookings for groups. Contact them directly through their social channels (@khayyamchalo on Instagram). Confirm details before you go.

Q: Is Emporium Mall Faisalabad connected to the Lahore Emporium? A: Both are Nishat Group projects and will share a similar retail positioning and quality benchmark. They are separate developments — the Faisalabad version is still completing its build-out.

Q: Are these restaurants halal? A: All restaurants operating in Faisalabad follow halal standards by default. If you have specific dietary requirements beyond halal, confirm directly with the individual establishment.

Q: Is parking available at The Grand Central Mall? A: Large commercial developments on Canal Road generally include dedicated parking. Confirm the current situation with the mall directly before your visit, particularly during the opening phase when infrastructure may still be completing.

Bottom Line

Faisalabad is in the middle of a commercial transformation that is playing out primarily along Canal Road. Khayyam The Food Pavilion and Zam Zam Restaurant represent a new generation of dining in the city; Kababjees brings a trusted name from Lahore's food scene. The Grand Central Mall and Emporium Mall, both under development on the same corridor, will permanently change the retail map here. If you have not been to Canal Road in the last year, it is genuinely worth a visit. Confirm details before you go on anything specific — at the pace things are moving, timelines and openings can shift.