03. Duncan Fraser-Smith, Founder, The Cutting Edge Agency
If there’s a black book in the region’s F&B market you need to get your hands on, it would be Duncan Fraser-Smith’s. Forging introductions between key industry stakeholders, integrating the right teams and concepts to deliver maximum guest activity and employee engagement, and delivering innovative food and beverage outlets through master planning, consumer insight and market research, The Cutting Edge Agency strives to establish benchmark food and beverage outlets.
With concepts such as Choix, Cle, Rodizio, Prime, Hive, Strata, Flying Carpet, and 360 Doha currently operating in the Middle East, this year Fraser-Smith was able to celebrate the opening of Marina Social by Jason Atherton, a project for which he laid the groundwork almost four years ago. The launch of Intersect by Lexus at DIFC was also one of his highlights of 2015. Fraser-Smith encourages owners and operators to move away from traditional high-end fine dining to give the public what it wants — premium casual concepts and more approachable fine dining operations. Continued growth and expansion are top of Fraser-Smith’s agenda, with more than 26 confirmed projects already lined up for 2016 to 2020.
Bite-sized facts:
Number of years in the F&B industry: 24
Number of years with this company: 3
Number of years in this role: 3
Number of years working in the Middle East: 9
Number of people you are responsible for: 15 – 150 depending on project
Number of F&B outlets in the Middle East: 10
Nationality: Australian
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