Beirut’s $13 chicken sandwich becomes symbol of Lebanon divide

By Nazih Osseiran, Raghed Waked and Ahmad Al Kerdi BEIRUT, Oct 25 (Reuters) Seven years after Lebanon’s devastating financial meltdown, a debate over a chicken sandwich has exposed an increasingly stark divide between those who can still spend freely and those struggling to get by. A trendy health restaurant wanted to offer its calorie-conscious ​customers a healthier take on the beloved Levantine wrap known as the shish taouk. So, The Glow ‌Paradise launched the “Chic Taouk,” pricing it at around $13 nearly double what an un-chic chicken sandwich typically goes for in Beirut. The pricy pun proved hard to swallow, with outraged critics accusing the restaurant of overcharging in a country where many households struggle to afford basic necessities. Yet while the debate raged on social media, customers kept buying. The Glow Paradise sold more than 20,000 Chic Taouk sandwiches in just 11 days, according to managing ‌partner ​Hrag Jeghalian, who described the online exchanges as natura