Speaking to Caterer Middle East last month, Media One Hotel operations manager Sebastien Noat said he felt the regional trend for Japanese restaurants was symptomatic of Middle East operators’ ‘play it safe’ attitude when it came to new outlets.
“When you look at the biggest commercial successes at the moment, like Japanese restaurants, those restaurants are six or seven years old in the UK and have only just now made it into Dubai. They’re old news in Europe, but here they’re the talk of the town,” he pointed out.
“From a sophistication stand-point the region is right up there, but in terms of the food offerings we’re not on the same level as a lot of other capitals, the reason being that there is no risk-taking.
“People are not going avant garde; they seem to prefer to invest in things with a proven track record.
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“If you look at the restaurant owners in San Francisco, or Sydney, people who are restaurateurs do that for their living, they do it for passion. They are dedicated to their concept, they live by it and believe in it.
“Maybe they’ll make a fortune out of it, maybe they won’t — but the idea is they change, they experiment, they try things out, they rework the concept. And in my view, that’s lacking in Dubai.”
For tips on how to successfully introduce a new F&B concept to the Middle East, see this month’s issue of Caterer Middle East.
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Dec 10, 2009 , United Arab Emirates
During these difficult times it is important to be at the very top of your game. Competition among restaurants in the UAE is fierce, with venues vying for a top spots in their respective cuisines in order to keep customers coming back. It is important to differentiate from other restaurants and b...