We have just finished the Hotelier Express Summit which I think proved to be as important for those of us in F&B as it was for the guys in hospitality, travel & leisure.

I think it’s fair to say that not long ago mid-range hotels were dwarfed by the success of Dubai’s five-star properties with consumers splurging and choosing luxury over value.

While the ‘rise of the millennial’ may well be the buzz term du jour, you can’t deny this new generation has brought about a whole new way of thinking; from the way business is conducted (now a sharing economy) to the way we eat our food (new delivery/experiential dining), convenience aided by technology is the key demand.

Mid-range properties were well placed to adapt to the world’s changing needs; they were already seen to offer great value. They readily opened up their doors to F&B leases and were able to offer the flexibility needed to launch pop-ups and similar. Consumers embraced not only the value but also the choices available.

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So what can the five-stars learn from these new mid-range F&B hot spots?

Customers are increasingly looking for an experience, not just a place to eat, and it can be easy for brands to fall into the trap of over-spending, introducing new ‘innovations’ for the sake of it or jumping on the latest bandwagon too quickly, which only leads to confused consumers and weaker brand equity.

The perception of five-star F&B is generally fine dining or smart outlets. This new generation, however, prize value over almost everything else; it is no wonder that five-star properties are consistently reinventing, reintroducing and revising their F&B offering, trying to get the mix right.

Over the past five years, mid-range hotels have been very successful in connecting with Dubai’s residents – and if you can create word-of-mouth amongst residents, tourists are sure to hear about it too. These tucked-away gems have popped up all over and some of the most talked-about bars and restaurants in Dubai today are in three or four-star properties as well as in strip malls and business districts.

It’s not always necessary to spend millions on the fit-out of your latest concept. Be smart, or in other words, be customer-centric. The rise of micro-breweries, craft beverages and other home-grown brands shows the importance of acting locally and staying relevant in your market. Often this is achieved by something as easy as introducing better servers or a new digital platform or capability.

Brands that are thriving in this climate are those built to be adaptable and imaginative, balancing consistency in brand equity with flexibility that keeps customers interested, evolving with the world around it to avoid getting stale, being forward-thinking, clever and understanding, to pro-actively identify and solve customer pain points quickly as well as effectively.

So throw out the tried-and-tested and take a chance; if you’re looking to create excitement in the market, I’ll go as far as to say, forget all-day dining, and traditional Italian or international outlets and instead, look to create F&B brands that operate independently. They need to have their own personality and reason for existing outside of the hotel’s world; consider a pop-up that changes monthly with guest chefs and versatile furniture or a restaurant that offers unusual sensory experiences. I’m not advocating gimmicks. simply ‘off the beaten track’ thinking. In a city such as Dubai, which moves a million miles an hour, keeping up means giving customers what they want now and tomorrow.

About the Author: With more than 25 years’ experience working with international brands in London and another 12 years specialising in consumer brands in the Middle East, Sanjay Murthy founded Figjam, a concept design agency, in 2012 with the primary aims of supporting the region’s F&B industry, opening up international skilled talent pools and delivering beyond client expectations through unlimited access to global creativity paired with industry knowledge. Connect via www.figjamco.com.