“If you ever get to the stage where you feel you can’t control your restaurants, then you shouldn’t take on more projects,” he asserted.

According to Atlantis’ Patten, any chef with his name over the door “must always have a close eye on day-to-day operations”, while the team in place must be able to consistently deliver the product and experience.

“It’s a bit like being a manager for a world class football team; their name’s associated with the product, even though they don’t actually score any goals,” he explained.

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Hilton’s Nalborczyk added that a close partnership was key for this chef-patron business model to succeed. “Our core team is an extension of Gordon’s team and we stay in close contact with them,” he revealed.

“Even a simple change of dish requires input from Gordon and the team. It is paramount to ensure that you remain true to the patron chef’s values and concept.”

Even for outlets that do not have a celebrity chef’s name over the door, occasional associations with such public figures can still be extremely beneficial.

According to Jorrit Gerritsma, F&B director at Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay in Oman, where Pierre Gagnaire recently guest-cheffed, the kitchen team found it “inspiring” to be able to work with such a world-renowned figure.

“It gives them pride and inspiration, and generally boosts the level of cooking,” he asserted. Indego’s Bhatia agreed such promotions could create “a lot of buzz”.

“It motivates the staff immensely, as getting a guest chef coming down is a big boost for them,” he noted. “They also get to learn a lot from somebody who’s recognised in the industry, who has achieved a certain status for what they have done.”

Ultimately, restaurants operating in this competitive region must constantly offer new ways of engaging with their clients, as noted by Hilton’s Nalborczyk.

“Guest chefs are a great way of adding value to the dining experience — but any such tactic must be compatible with the existing positioning of the restaurant and enhance the customer experience,” he warned.

Today, many famed chefs have been persuaded to open outlets in the Middle East — and with gourmet fairs such as Gourmet Abu Dhabi and Taste of Dubai coming up, there may be more announcements to come.

But is there room in the market for more celebrity chef outlets?
Six Senses’ Gerritsma said he believed both Abu Dhabi and Dubai “could do with a few more”, but emphasised: “They need to be small — by UAE standards – and the location needs to be picked very well.”

Similarly, Hilton’s Nalborczyk said celebrity chef-endorsed restaurants were “a great way to raise the profile of the region, keep standards in check and generally enrich the customer experience”.

As Indego’s Bhatia pointed out: “There’s lots of room — and the more chefs come here, the better the Middle East’s F&B scene will become.

“People get scared and say there is too much competition between celebrity chefs,” he mused.
“But I say no to that: the more the merrier, and the better for the industry.”