Comment: Daring to win

As I type this, the announcement for the winning bid to host Expo 2020 is just hours away. While we don’t know who has won yet, most of the people in the F&B industry we have spoken to recently are confident Dubai has a great chance of winning. If Dubai does end up winning, it will certainly mean a lot for the Emirate, and eventually impact its F&B and hospitality industry.

However, it remains to be seen which restaurants open today will still be around seven years from now. As pointed out repeatedly by many in this sector, longevity is an important consideration in F&B. In a transient city like Dubai, those who have lived here for over 20 years (as I have!) are used to people coming and going, and similarly, restaurants opening and closing.

Some have stood the test of time through the ability to deliver all-round consistency in everything they do, while others fade away simply because they were not good enough, and didn’t have the right people guiding development.

Staying power, therefore, was one of the determining factors in Caterer Middle East’s first ranked Power 50 list.

As the editorial team compiled pages and pages of information on people who have shaped the F&B scene in the region, what we noticed right off the bat was that while there were candidates who have been around for just a year or two, there were many who have stayed for a decade or more. There were also those who left, only to return years later.

There were also outlets that have lasted a long time, staying consistent in the face of a lot of competition. For this, they are to be lauded.

Another factor that ties so many of these powerful 50 is their creation of ‘homegrown’ brands. It is not merely enough to import international brands and shove them into whatever empty space is available. The only way the region will be respected as a culinary hub is if it innovates, creates and lasts. Even international brands that enter the region need to be mindful of tweaking its offering to suit the taste of the local culture.

Going by what we have learned from the region’s most powerful figures, 2014 is a year to watch out for — there are going to be many new outlets fighting for supremacy, and with them, new individuals to drive their development.

We are very proud of the first Power 50 list, and we hope you will enjoy reading through the list and finding out more about your peers, just like we did. I would love to hear your opinions about the list and look forward to receiving your feedback.