Articles

TRANSFORMING DEAD SPACES INTO INVITING OASIS In bustling malls and shopping centers, dead spaces often go unnoticed, overlooked corners that serve no purpose. We see these spaces as opportunities to create little oasis, inviting spots where people can pause and rejuvenate. THE ALLURE OF THE KIOSK: A COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL CATALYST What sets a kiosk...

The tough news is that 20% of all new restaurants will fail in the first year. In my experience, the multiple struggling restaurants we audit in their first year of operation have almost no business or financial strategy. New restaurateurs are focused on creative and customer-focused areas, but they tend to leave the managing of payables...

Dubai’s economy is thriving again and restauranteurs in the region are showing no signs of slowing down. The Department of Economy and Tourism’s Business Registration and Licensing reported that it issued 24,662 new business licenses in Q1 2022, a growth of 58% compared to Q1 2021, and restaurant openings have proven to be one of...

While the Metaverse and Mark Zuckerberg promise a “feast for our eyes” in what we can expect to be the experience of dining in the future, restaurateurs today face some basic but real challenges of getting their name out in an overly crowded and competitive world. Especially for the restaurant industry, the marketing landscape of...

The battle between building a restaurant that can feature and compete in design awards while ensuring Capex is capped at a reasonable ROI for eager investors and finding the right build partner to bring it to life on a budget has been a challenge for the booming ‘designer’ F&B; industry. I coined the phrase ‘designer...

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’. Success in any business is the result of a vision backed by...

It’s incredible how a person who may not otherwise dare risk venturing into business, might harbor this desire, “… I would love to have my own restaurant or café someday…” I am one of the biggest believers in dreaming big, aiming high & bringing purpose to my passion. I can testify to the power of...

While vision, budgets, and passion are all key tools to getting started, if business owners don’t have the operator’s acumen and strategic skills to synergize these energies into an excellent operating strategy, it’s a recipe for failure. Build synergy between operations and marketing The disconnect between departments in our business is usually the main area...

When considering the larger challenges that are faced by restaurants in terms of a younger staff body, keeping the dynamic, open-minded, and sensitive generation motivated and equipped is key. F&B; concepts are often introduced as quickly as they disappear due to faults in business strategy, service standards, or brand identity. This is a reality that...

Dubai’s bustling F&B; scene sees the opening of new restaurants regularly, and closures near as frequently. While there’s no pinpoint reason that is responsible for doors closing, there is a range of contributing factors, such as areas of the business often forgotten about during an outlet’s launch period. Overlooking important areas of the restaurant business...