Keeping your covers

During the current economic downturn, is it proving difficult to attract out-of-house guests?

Allegra: I think we're all surviving because of our local guests to be honest; they're the customers we want to continue our relationship with and develop in years to come. Dubai can be a very finicky city, people are not very loyal to just one restaurant; maybe they feel like having brunch somewhere one week and the next you'll find them elsewhere.

It's about keeping that business and finding new ways to keep them coming back, whether it's through price, brand loyalty or incentives. Our locally-altered programmes are big business - it's not just about giving discounts, but giving something back to the customer, whether it's through special events or inviting them back for dinner with the hotel executives.

Ghobar: It's all about loyal customers. We believe in our guests and if they get something from the brunch they attend, for instance, then they will eventually come back. We have to retain our outside clients but at the moment the hotel is full, so hopefully that will help fill our F&B outlets. In Dubai there are hotels suffering, but in Sharjah a number of hotels and their F&B outlets are continuing to do very well.

King: Beverage outlets are doing surprisingly well - I guess the joke is people still need to drown their sorrows, but the beverage outlets are staying on budget, while the food outlets have dropped a little behind.

We rely on our local clientele. We have ten outlets, three bars and only 270 rooms; that mass doesn't add up so we really depend on the local population.

Magalhaes: At the moment it is probably more difficult to achieve food budgets than beverage budgets - that's a fact. If you look at most of the hotels, they have lowered prices in regards to their food menus, but few to none have lowered their drinks prices.

How innovative is the Middle East in terms of themed-restaurants, designs and concepts?

Allegra: I think innovation-wise, the concepts and designs of F&B outlets are quite striking in Dubai, however it's not the actual food concepts that are different, it's the restaurant concepts.

We all know great Japanese, Italian and Middle Eastern restaurants, but to witness how much money is being spent on creating the whole experience is quite nice to see. Not many restaurateurs have the opportunity to have so much capital put into their establishments, which is why Dubai has an advantage over other cities in Europe or even North America.

Solenthaler: Individually-themed restaurants have started to expand across Riyadh, while at our hotel we are redefining the identity of each of our restaurants.

Magalhaes: It is very difficult now to come up with something new. It could be a twist between two existing concepts in order to create something original, but whether it will exist in Dubai or even elsewhere is a real challenge at the moment.

King: I think nothing is impossible and the industry will continue to evolve. Obviously the industry's been going for a long time and there are a lot of themes and a lot of restaurants out there. I think our focus is to create more of a genuine experience, rather than concentrating on themes. Although the bright, glamorous restaurants in Dubai will gather attention to start with, customers are looking for the same thing they've always looked for - quality food, excellent service and a good experience.

Ghobar: In Sharjah it's not like it is in Dubai, but whenever you plan for a new theme it's got to be done properly. If you have a Chinese theme it has to be authentic aesthetically, as well as gastronomically. Most of the time, however, you have to look outside the box with what you're thinking and consider what your competitors are doing.

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