Saturday, 30 August 2008 |
14:54 UAE time
Developing the perfect restaurant takes a long time, a lot of planning and detailed research. Here key industry professionals reveal how to create winning F&B concepts.
With Dubai's rapidly expanding F&B portfolio, creating unique restaurant concepts is becoming a weekly challenge, according to the industry's F&B professionals.
The first step in developing a restaurant concept is conducting market research explains Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts director of culinary services Peter Drescher.
"We hatch ideas by observing the market and what is happening around us, which helps us differentiate our F&B offerings from competitors.
Knowing your surroundings is important to the creative process, although it's not always possible.
"Very often - and especially in Dubai - we create concepts for new hotels that are in construction zones, which means we have no access to the site and don't know who the surrounding tenants will be," explains Drescher.
"It's difficult in this situation because we don't know what F&B outlets other hotels will be offering in the area so it's harder to find a culinary niche."
Drescher comments that the secret to the success of hotel F&B outlets is harmony.
"Concepts should not cannibalise each other but instead add balance to the F&B offering.
"You shouldn't have two Asian outlets in the same hotel, for example. Instead, concepts should offer a variety of cuisine and entertainment for the guest.
Open all hours
A recent evolution in restaurant development is the central role of the all-day-dining concept, which has become the most important component of a hotel's F&B offering, explains Drescher.
"It is a very particular support to the hotel because it is the place where guests potentially are going to eat three times a day.
"It has to change its shape, light, music, and style - like a chameleon - to give the guest something different during each meal.
The all-day-dining outlet should emulate the character of the hotel and give the guest a brand experience explains Michael Skully, general manager for Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina and the Westin Dubai.
"We represent activity, fun and flavour and we wanted to keep this feeling of freshness and accessibility available to everyone through our restaurants.
Skully believes that the theme, design and style of a restaurant should contribute to the personality of each outlet.
"Every restaurant has to have an edge and our goal was to create a personality for each one.
One way of doing this is through the name of the restaurant, but it's sometims difficult to get this element right explains Arjaan Al Sufouh by Rotana F&B manager Tarek Al Safadi.
"The name has to grab the guest - it has to be fresh and different but also encompass the cuisine.
"We chose Arabesque because of the architectural design of the building and the Arabic twist to the cuisine available on the menu.
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