F&B Focus
For many visitors to the island, its eight F&B outlets will be the only point of contact, and the resort is already getting up to 200 bookings a day from non-residents.
Director of food & beverage Max Loaiza insists the key element to the success of the operations will be front- and back-of-house working together closely, and communicating as one team, with the example being set at the top.
“It is a bit like marriage, the relationship between the executive chef and the F&B director,” he says.
“And you project that towards all your associates. So they understand that the exec chef and F&B director are getting along well, and they must do the same as chef de cuisine and restaurant manager for example.”
In terms of bringing in those chefs, executive chef Muneir Al Sallaq admits it was a challenge finding the talent with both the necessary skills and the experience.
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“For opening you need people that are really experienced, that can help you to drive it fast,” he says. “You
don’t have time to teach people here during opening. You need people who are skilled and knowledgeable.
“After a year, you can start to do training with a different line of chefs. But at the beginning it is very important to select the right team.”
Once fully staffed, Loaiza expects to have 130 front-of-house and 110 back-of-house staff. And while he will have the flexibility to move staff around, he does not expect any issues with some restaurants becoming more popular than others. “At the moment, people don’t care where they come and eat, as long as they come and eat on the island,” he reveals.
“The first restaurant that gets booked up is Al Nahham. A lot of guests say, 'if it is fully booked, book me somewhere else'. That gives them the chance to try something else.”
As for remaining profitable, he insists the key is recognising what locals want. “In Qatar, I still have my favourite places I like to eat at, and some of those places have not changed their menus for four or five years,” he explains.
“That’s an indicator that the crowd here doesn’t like to see too many changes. If you have the right product, people will continue coming to you.” Al Sallaq remains confident that filling up the F&B outlets will not be an issue, also citing the excitement for the island among the local population.
“It is now our responsibility to make every restaurant, for every diner, an experience.”
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