AN EYE ON INVESTING IN F&B IN DUBAI: THE WORLD’S LEADING F&B DINNERTAINMENT DESTINATION

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If I were to sum up the emotions of the F&B; industry as a whole for 2022 in one line, it would definitely be ‘An unprecedented state of euphoria, growth & new beginnings, equivalent only to the depth of adversity of the pandemic’.

  1. A number of factors lead to this very encouraging & positive conclusion so early in the year. The UAE government’s response & subsequent action plans of both containment through vaccination rollouts, Covid-19 safety rules, and commercially viable decisions balancing the importance of financial stability as much as health form the first part of this reality.
  2. The overwhelmingly positive support & response from our extraordinarily willed citizens & residents with grit, entrepreneurial spirit & the strong will to prevail & sustain our lifestyles & visions was the balance of this formula.
  3. Data captured from reliable sources pointing to commercial gains & growths posted by this sector, restaurants with waiting lists, rents going higher, new commercial developments announced, and mass return of human resources into the country from Europe, Africa & Asia after the mass exodus we faced in 2020 & most hearteningly talent of caliber, not just an investor profile but also Operator profiles that indicate our F&B; industry is something everyone wants a piece of & rightly so!

Success in any business is the result of a vision backed by resources, both human & financial. I’ve personally learned that success is a synergy of pain & pleasure, well utilized for higher gain. The F&B; industry is not unlike any other in its challenges, especially when we consider the truth that most who enter it, do so with bigger dreams than wallets, and more passion than expertise. And many times, the very same formula that propels new businesses & ideas to birth, becomes the very reason for the high rate of their failure.
Regardless of all that, it is also undeniably super glamorous with a sneaky numbers-crunching edge that may overwhelm many, but the resounding truth is that the profitability & sustainability of this industry far exceeds its risk factors. 

Recent studies from reliable sources indicate some very interesting facts & data worth digesting before you step into your dream of being a successful restaurateur. This data has been gathered from intensive online research as well as our own learnings from more than 20 years of F&B; experience in the UAE &, and from developing in excess of 350 F&B; projects.

  1. The UAE has among the highest volume of retail gross leasable area on a per capita basis globally.
  2. Being a country deeply immersed in coffee culture, it is unsurprising that the country’s cafes account for 27% of the total mix of restaurants & specialty coffee is on an unprecedented rise, welcoming the 4th wave in coffee culture.
  3. In 2019 (just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the UAE) Dubai welcomed almost 17 million visitors naturally encouraging investors to take the dining & leisure sector seriously as a very viable area of investment with returns secured *even during recessions (*delivery & casual brands posted higher returns during low times, people eat simpler, but they don’t stop eating).
  4. The intensive marketing campaigns & travel benefits offered by Dubai in 2020, have reaped high dividends with an influx of visitors & have also strengthened investor interest in the region. Along with home-grown brands, Industry veterans & large Operators & F&B; stalwarts have descended on our shores, seeking & securing prime locations to set up extravagant F&B; venues, ready for the wave of new F&B; diners invading the Dubai leisure scene.
  5. Dinnertainment is the future of dining & it has been rapidly growing in Dubai post-pandemic. In fact, we see a more intentional & determined pursuit of entertainment while dining, perhaps as a human response to the year of adversity faced with closures & restrictions.
  6. As per a revelation by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, online sales in the UAE F&B; market grew 255% in 2020 as compared to the previous year, to reach USD 412 million.
  7. Food consumption in the UAE is forecasted to grow at an annualized rate of 3.2% from an estimated 8.9 million MT in 2020 to 10.5 million MT in 2025. Growth in the UAE will be largely driven by an expanding population base (3.1% CAGR between 2020 and 2025) and post-pandemic economic recovery.
  8. Dubai, for example, has been a popular tourist destination globally, attracting 16.7 million tourists in 2019. While this number declined steeply to 5.5 million in 2020 owing to the pandemic, its ambitious strategy to attract 25 million visitors a year by 2025 will significantly boost the F&B; sector.
  9. Online sales within the UAE’s food and beverage market surged 255% year-over-year in 2020 to reach $412 million, a new analysis by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has revealed.
  10. The analysis predicted the value of online food and beverage sales in the country to reach $619 million by 2025 and record a compound annual growth (CAGR) of 8.5% over the 2020-2025 period.

My mission in penning this article is to encourage anyone reading this to understand the F&B; industry from not just its glamorous connotations but also its challenging dynamics of the perfect balance of creativity & consistency. The world has its eye on Dubai as a leading F&B; destination, leading hospitality & service provider, and entertainment & lifestyle capital. It has taken a lot of determination, trial error & resilience to achieve this status.

The fact that so many home-grown brands are now being wooed to bring the Dubai brand of ‘dinnertainment’ to other major cities of the world, is an indication of a mature economy & resiliently pragmatic social fiber. The unique amalgamation of cultures, not just in terms of our diversity but the undeniable quality of our entrepreneurial spirit, enhanced by the passionate entrepreneurial spirit of the leadership, is in my opinion a ‘manifestation’ case study to explore.

I have called this ever-evolving nation home, for the past 26 years. I have ‘grown’ up here, built a family, businesses, and lifelong friendships & the one thing I testify to is that we are not perfect but what we definitely are, are intentional learners, ever resilient & passionate to achieve what may be the ‘unattainable’ for many. If Dubai has not been on your radar for potential investment before reading this, which I doubt, do visit us soon. It will be a trip to remember for its hospitality, service, modern amenities & irresistible simplicity in the aspects that really matter. Dubai is a city with a heart that beats louder & bigger than most. The sound you hear, the vibe you feel, the love you experience – that’s its people, citizens & residents alike. Come to Dubai.

Data has been collated & curated by the author. Credits due to the following sources:
https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2021/Feb/22-02/…
http://www.alpen-capital.com/gcc-food-report-2021-…
https://argaamplus.s3.amazonaws.com/4b9ab348-c35d-…
https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2021/Feb/22-02/…

About The Author: Gabrielle F. Mather, Founder & CEO

Gabrielle Mather, a creative soul in the pursuit of excellence, has lived in the UK, Singapore & UAE and all of her diverse international experiences are illustrated in both her business & personal life. She is a seasoned Restaurateur, Operator & as a trusted F&B; Consultant she has been incubating F&B; businesses since 2001. 

Gabrielle has led the development of over 300 F&B; Concepts with 360 degrees hands on experience in BOH & FOH experiences with particular expertise in concept creation, menu development, interior design & brand development. Her leadership oversaw the rebranding & operational turn-around of 4 prime Emaar properties La Sere, The Loft at Dubai Opera, Taikun & Distillery in the 2018 acquisition of the 100 million Capex venues by Restaurant Secrets Inc. 

With a Business (Marketing) degree from the University of Hartford, she is also a BVQI – ISO certified Quality Auditor & trained in luxury product development at the University of London.

Testimonials

I am lucky enough, as a new business owner, to have RSI team by my side, to take us through all the challenges in the process of opening a restaurant, but also going the extra mile to make sure that everything is at the highest level starting from the interior design and to the point where the business is up and running successfully. They are a group of talented, passionate individuals who will always have your back and be completely honest with you no matter what. If I ever have another project, there’s no one else I would rather have by my side than RSI team and their great leader Gabrielle F. Mather! Totally recommend them to anyone who is in F&B;, new or experienced, cause you won’t find anyone better than them to take care of you and your business, also , their list of services covers all you’ll ever need to take your project to the next level!
Ekaterina Kopanitsa, Twice Café Dubai
We chose RSI because of its extensive restaurant industry experience and proven track record of successful projects. Our meeting with Gabrielle reinforced our decision as we witnessed her passion for her work and expertise. By selecting RSI, we have gained valuable insights into the local restaurant industry in the UAE. This has been helpful in refining our restaurant concept and identifying the optimal location for its establishment. The team at RSI demonstrates tremendous expertise. We appreciate their efforts in taking the time to truly understand our business, industry, and project objectives. They have leveraged their knowledge and skills to design and implement the best possible solution.
Sabina Saldanha, Samakna
We chose RSI based on the many successful restaurants they helped launch. RSI assisted us with Menu Engineering and Staff Training. Each service provided by them was excellent – the tastings, exploring different ingredients, learning the secrets behind assembling burgers, and all the smallest of details. RSI has always been swift with their response and understood every task clearly while meeting all project deadlines. We would definitely recommend RSI for being very supportive, insightful, patient, and professional and for helping us through our journey.
Alya Alkaabi, Monkit AUH
We were looking for the best restaurant consultancy firm in the UAE and Restaurant Secrets Inc. caught our eye. Our journey with RSI started with a simple query, and their swift response was a good indication of how well the company was structured. With RSI, we developed the concept of our brand new QSR business and also a strong, potential long-term partnership. We loved the result of their Menu Development service. The team ensured the project met the set timelines with timely delivered milestones throughout the project, along with flexibility in accommodating our extra last-minute requests. I would recommend RSI without hesitation, especially Gabrielle F. Mather for treating Nine50 as their own business and for doing everything they could to make it successful.
Nine50
The dedicated and creative team at RSI helped us uplift the brand image by upgrading the Brand Identity and creating unique social media content. They are always up-to-date with the newest trends and always come up with a creative approach, offering 360-degree solutions to new and established F&B; companies.
Mahdi Jaber, The Meat Avenue
We achieved amazing results for our many objectives with RSI – a unique menu, chefs that fit our project, and the right dinnerware. I would recommend the consistency of their consultancy & the great consultants they have!
Else Café, Saudi Arabia
I choose RSI based on their project portfolio and their high delivery standards. With them, I was able to establish my restaurant concept, feasibility study, and also branding. Seeing my thoughts convert into goals with reasonable ways to achieve it, my favorite part was brainstorming the concept and its establishment. This integrated team of experts helped us achieve our dream.
Hamda Alkuwaiti
A highly experienced team that exceeds your expectations with their professional services. The CEO, Gabrielle, is very approachable and super hands-on throughout the project. RSI is one of the bests consultancy companies you could ever have!
Junah Corona, Baofriend
RSI had good experience and expertise in their field. Gabrielle and Brian quickly understood the concept and channeled my ideas with their professional background. The team was extremely fast to reply, even on short notice; I would definitely recommend them.
Thomas Rougié, Duckdive
After receiving recommendations and doing extensive background study of the company and previous projects we chose to work with RSI. Their experience and exposure in restaurants is tremendous, our best part was experiencing the strength in front of house and back of house operations which is key for any business. Even though it was a preliminary visit to observe, we appreciate their deep study into our location and their proposals for launching our group with a new solid formation, we now understand how to create the foundation for our corporate structure and the important aspects to monitor.
Abdulla Salem, XShot Café
After receiving recommendations and doing extensive background study of the company and previous projects we chose to work with RSI. Their experience and exposure in restaurants is tremendous, our best part was experiencing the strength in front of house and back of house operations which is key for any business. Even though it was a preliminary visit to observe, we appreciate their deep study into our location and their proposals for launching our group with a new solid formation, we now understand how to create the foundation for our corporate structure and the important aspects to monitor.
Abdulla Salem, Cut Pizza
When we met with the team, we felt that they understood and were aware of our interests and Ideas and they understood what we wanted. With RSI we were able to complete our project and achieve all desired goals and objectives. I am really happy with them, they take great care of the customers and provide a full support, they even offered extra support and ideas in excess of the scope.
Amer Al Khaja, Tapas
We were looking for a consultant and RSI was recommended to us. Through our workings with the team we were able to achieve exactly what we set out to do which was to come away from the process with a true, non-inflated analysis of the opportunity we had at hand. The enthusiasm and dynamic pair that is Gabrielle and Brian was a pleasure to work with. We are extremely happy with the detailed content and documentation received.
Kader & Guillaume, Heal Cafe
I chose RSI based on their portfolio of projects and their experience in the industry, by having RSI audit my outlet I was able to identify gaps within my brand and can now maintain a better quality control and monitoring system. The aspect I liked most about working with RSI was their cooperation, they were not like most companies who rush to finish at the earliest and leave, it was like a long term relationship from the beginning.
Abdullah AlGhubi, Skeek Restaurant & Cafe
We ultimately chose RSI for their reputation. We had seen the stellar work done for their sister company outlets and it inspired a lot of confidence in their team. They helped us take our desired project and converted into a real & functional brand. We loved the Brand Identity created, it helped us formulate our strategy moving forward and gave us boundaries which we could focus and chart our journey. We were more than satisfied with what we’ve achieved and look forward to working with RSI again in the future.
Mostafa Amshan, Food O'clock
I chose to work with RSI due to their vast experience in the field and that they have worked on many great projects before. The service I received from RSI was excellent. Everyone that we worked with was very helpful, friendly and easygoing. From the first consultation with Gabrielle, she was very interested in the concept, she was able to give me a clear picture of what we needed. She offered valuable advice, was a great listener and took everything I said into consideration. Chef Brian was very knowledgeable about all items we were looking to develop, he trained our team members and made everything smooth and comfortable for everyone, we also worked closely with Nuwan in the baking section, he even visited our outlet in order to offer further training. With his help we were able to perfect the bread items. He was very resourceful in his craft. I would recommend RSI to anyone looking for help with their menu engineering as they made the process really smooth and the results are great!
Shamma Summait, Utopia Bakery
I previously worked with RSI for an older project that I had done, their level of attention and professionalism is one of the reasons I decide to use them once again for my latest project. I found the techniques used to develop my new menu interesting and was pleased with how special our menu ended up being. They are great at listening to the client’s needs and care about the identity of the brand, they are also great with the guidance they give to the clients during the process. The consultants made me feel at ease and I was happy with the support I received.
Farah Al Bakoush, That Cafe
I would recommend RSI to others, from the first meeting I understood why RSI has the reputation it did. The staff are friendly, they are always there for support, they bring something new to the table. My favourite part of the project was the design of our brand.
Abdulla Alketbi, Buns of Steel
I would recommend RSI due to their professionalism to consultancy and dedication to the client. The comprehensive introduction by the team that made me feel confident that my concept would be brought to life. The quality provided by RSI was superior and I now have the confidence to start my project.
Farah Al Bakoush, Delish
RSI’s professionalism, knowledge and quality of their work is why I chose them as my consultants. I really enjoyed working with the whole team and I would recommend them to anyone because they are able to deliver exactly what they promise.
Shohrat, Zeit’Olio
A friend recommended RSI to me to assist with creating a business plan. They were able to develop the concept beyond what I had in mind, which showed how much they cared about my project. The office was a really welcoming space with very friendly team. Very professional.
Khalid Almehairbi, Dice Craft
The best part of working with RSI was the overall experience and the final product that they deliver. Initially I chose RSI due to the previous projects they have done but having an experienced team handle my project in the correct manner, having the detailed work done was the path to avoiding failure with the concept.
Mona Al Ali, Malawal
If you want consultants who are able to add value to your project, RSI is the team. They are available when you need and have the utmost professionalism when delivering the services as promised.
Yaser Darwish, Zaad Zone
I would recommend RSI for their creativity and their positivity. I loved the branding they delivered.
Kareem Fahmy, Levee Café and Lounge
RSI was the only consultancy form that offered all the services under one roof, they used the idea in my head and gave it meaning so that I could move forward.
Imtiyaz Hamad, Tamar
After much research, I decided to go ahead with RSI and I am glad I did. They are very professional and trustworthy. I was able to get everything I needed to implement and execute my business. Definitely would recommend them!
Fahad Al Baghli, Bake A Boo
I chose RSI for their reputation, and I am happy that I got to work with the best firm. They have a great team with great experience and professionalism.
Mubarak Al Kindi, Planet X
Initially it was the website that attracted me to RSI, but the free consultation sealed the deal. I loved the logo and the stationery that was designed for my concept. Their passion to make my vision come alive was the best part.
Ahmed Al Hamed, Sushina
By choosing RSI we managed to build a concept from A to Z, the feasibility study enabled us to get another investor on board. They have a large list of clients which is why I would recommend them and I already have!
Mounia Kaddoura, Tartina
I heard of RSI via word of mouth, I was pleased with the concept they put together for me. The team was very friendly. I’m quite satisfied with their work.
Juliana Santosh, Terra Gaia
I enjoyed the way RSI represented themselves, I was able to improve my projects and arrange my thoughts through working with them. They were able to connect so well with my vision.
Nawaf Fahad Al Ali, Twelve
RSI have such amazing ideas and a great reputation. They always delivered on time and has such a dedication to my project. We love the result of their consultancy on our project and would recommend them to anyone looking for the help.
Wael Alsalimi, Colt
We dealt with both Ralph and Gaby and with their consultancy we achieved all we set out to they have a bank of knowledge and experience of the F&B; industry in Dubai, the UAE and Beyond. From the moment we stepped into their offices we felt like a team, we felt were in safe hands. They made our dream a reality. Absolutely recommend them!
Ahsan & Rachel Kahlon, Roti Rollers
RSI was able to provide full comprehensive service from conceptual development up until completion. They are experienced consultants with unmatched market insights. We loved the responsiveness and care we received from the RSI team. They treated our project as if if were their own.
Mohammed Al Sadiq, @blend
With the help of RSI I now have a clear idea on how to start my business and to start it in a clever way at that! They were flexible but remained creative throughout the process.
Eman Al Qwais, Jolie
RSI is multidisciplinary combining concept creation with execution and all the way to the finished product. I already knew the concept I wanted and what I needed was someone to bring it to life, give it an identity, get a great location and partner with me until it is done. I was able to get that with RSI.
Abdolmonem, Dabang
77 Veggie Boutique take pleasure in recommending you, Restaurant Secrets as a super professional company in beautifying and tailoring an investors dream. We have known the Restaurant Secrets team over 10 months now, from the very first time we made an inquiry until our opening we have found the team very open and adjustive to our ideas. Their creativity and wealth of knowledge gives others like us an opportunity to make it big in life. By guiding new and old investors onto an easier path the team takes the business to a new high. The team at RSI add warmth and pleasure on their way to helping companies preform in a professional manner and similar to a school's education and nurturing. Our journey with Restaurant Secrets ( Mr. Ralph, Ms. Gaby and the amazing team) has been un-forgetful time for us. Thank you for making our biggest dream come true.... Kind Regards, 77 Veggie
77 Veggie
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Client Testimonials

I would like to share my genuine feedback and express gratitude to Restaurant Secrets’ team for their professionalism, dedication loyalty and commitment.

I am lucky enough, as a new business owner, to have RSI team by my side, to take us through all the challenges in the process of opening a restaurant, but also going the extra mile to make sure that everything is at the highest level starting from the interior design and to the point where the business is up and running successfully.

Ekaterina Kopanitsa

Founder, Twice Cafe Dubai

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Restaurant Secrets Inc. is now operating as Cornerstone 61 Consultancy.

After more than 20 years of shaping over 500 successful F&B brands, we are evolving to be more future-focused. Cornerstone 61 Consultancy is the next chapter, built to empower modern businesses with strategic consultancy, innovative solutions, and a bold approach to brand transformation using the cornerstone pillars of excellence, creativity, integrity & stewardship on which Restaurant Secrets was built & has thrived for more than 2 decades.

Welcome to new excellence. 

Our expertise remains, but our vision expands.

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