Le Meridien Dubai's F&B director and executive chef discuss the hotel's 18 F&B outlets.
What makes Le Méridien Dubai’s outlets special in comparison to competitors in the market?
Ramon Salto: The diversity of cuisines and mix of outlets we have make it a very special property that suits the palate of even the most demanding diner. This hotel is better known as a culinary resort, with some outlets being almost a tradition with those who have been in Dubai for long or frequent visitors here.
Ibrahim Kabel: Every restaurant of ours has its own identity with a concept that is well researched. We have chefs in each restaurant who are from the country of that particular cuisine or are well experienced in it. Having 18 distinct restaurant and bars means our diners are never bored, and that our menus have a good balance.
How do your front-of-house and back-of-house teams support each other?
Ramon Salto: Our goal is to exceed customer expectations and in order to achieve this we don’t have divisions in work. Back-of-house or front-of-house, we all work together to make this happen. Additionally it is important that every team member feels inclusive and this relates to great team work and communication.
Ibrahim Kabel: We have great teamwork and believe in synergy with one objective — customer satisfaction. Everyone is equally responsible for resolving issues and we debrief the handling of a situation to see if this was the best or if we would do it differently should the incident re-occur. We also ensure that if it was an issue at our end, this is not repeated.
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How do you ensure each outlet is busy and profitable?
Ramon Salto: A very prominent hotelier said: ‘take care of your guests and guests will take care of your business’. It might sound clichéd but there is no other formula. We provide value for money, ensuring the best quality of food and service in the city, and that makes us very successful.
Ibrahim Kabel: Our employees play a pivotal role in ensuring our venues are profitable. Happy employees result in happy customers. We study market trends and what suits our business, and introduce new menus and promotions that attract new customers and give something back to our existing ones. Profitability comes from monitoring the costs closely with an effective plan.
What are the biggest business challenges you face?
Ramon Salto: Staff retention, as Dubai is a city with many venues, and team members have ample opportunities in the market. Equally challenging is sourcing ingredients and maintaining authenticity; most of the ingredients are imported and getting the right product at the right time can be difficult.
Ibrahim Kabel: Growing competition in the F&B sector, and this is multiplied for us as we have 18 different concepts. Today’s customer is well educated in F&B at an international level, so we need to be ahead of the game and keep abreast with the the F&B scene globally.
What does the future hold for Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre’s outlets?
Ramon Salto: The future looks very positive, especially with new upcoming concepts on the F&B front and, with Expo 2020 coming up, we feel there will be a more opportunities to explore in catering to our guests.
Ibrahim Kabel: We want to be perceived as pioneers in hospitality and for revamping concepts. Yalumba reopens with a new look in October and in September we introduce the repositioned Méridien Village Terrace alfresco themed nights.
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