New Dubai cafe CEO says put 'green' design first

The CEO of a new sustainable store in Dubai, The Change Initiative, said restaurants in the region must rethink their approach to design.

Gundeep Singh told Caterer Middle East that while offering sustainably sourced foods was important, a bigger priority was ensuring ‘a sustainable environment’ within which to offer it.

The Change Initiative, which includes a cafe, has implemented green initiatives such as the use of water heated by solar panels on the roof, solar lighting panels and an acid/alkali water system to eliminate the use of soap.

“We don’t start with the food, we start with the cafe – every single aspect; the induction cookers, the way we wash the veg – there is a whole theme behind what we do as a cafe. We looked at the design first and it was to make that sustainable – the food, I would say, is an embellishment or a garnish.”

Singh added that most businesses in Dubai, while trying to exercise sustainability, are going about it the "wrong way".

“If you ask me, they’re the complete opposite of what they should be,” he said. “The first thing is to have every aspect of the cafe sustainable and then introduce this into the food – not the other way round. It’s not about having a few organic things and calling it sustainable.”