Authenticity is considered key to F&B longevity

The opening panel discussion at the Caterer Middle East Food & Business Conference on Tuesday March 7, focussed on the theme of “Appetite for Growth – Keeping up with Rapid Urbanisation”.

Topics such as location, licensing and redevelopment were discussed during the panel moderated by The Cutting Edge Agency founder and managing director Duncan Fraser-Smith however, the overlying theme was authenticity.

During the discussion, Economides who is the co-founder of restaurants Mythos Kouzina & Grill and Nola Eatery & Social House in JLT, suggested that F&B outlets can prolong their lifecycles by choosing a strong concept and staying true to it: “The F&B industry compared to other industries has a shorter lifecycle and there are different ways of implementing your concept. If you approach the investment and the restaurant setup in a way that you have a long product lifecycle, I think there are ways to drive it in that direction. That’s what we tried to do at Mythos and Nola. We feel that having a very solid concept with an authentic serving and consistency so that when people come back they know what they’re getting.”

Still, Economides underlined that outlets can’t be complacent and that he isn’t opposed to making small changes and adjustments within the concept that customers will appreciate.