Born and bred in London, it’s easy for me to get transfixed by the bright lights of this city; it’s charming, it’s unique, and has cultivated a rich hospitality offer that is one of the best in the world. Nonetheless, it’s important to broaden one's horizons, and not assume that for all its majesty London’s dining scene cannot learn lessons from the rest of the world. Looking to learn more, I recently took a trip to Dubai.
My experience of the Middle East is limited, and my knowledge of the region is vicarious, consisting mostly of what I’ve heard through others or read about online. A reputation of extravagance and lavishness springs to mind, but I wanted to see it for myself, and with that came an almighty breath of fresh air.
It was so pleasing to see hospitality given the attention it deserves. With hotels, restaurants, and rooftop bars at every turn, the overall ambiance in Dubai is overwhelming in the best way possible; you can really see how this industry was formed at the core of its infrastructure, and the significance it brought to the city was not dismissed. With the obvious advantage of being built from the ground up, every decision has been made to increase its appeal for consumer spend and tourism, from building materials and design, to fit out and aesthetic. There has been a real focus on the intricate details of mixed-use developments, considering who it’s targeting and what consumers will value, with a consensus that without it, tourism would suffer.
Of course, there is a fundamental difference between what we inherit here in the UK and the landscape of the Middle East: towns, cities, and villages do not provide us with a clear playing field, and we don’t have the space or capacity to build a whole city from scratch with the advantage and knowledge of learnings and failings from across the world. However, what Dubai highlights in my mind is that hospitality should be a cornerstone of every location, and we should be doing everything we can to savour it, protect it, and nurture it. It was inspiring to visit a city that isn’t plagued by problems of staffing, cost of utilities and industry strikes, and be able to witness tourism well and truly thriving.
We’re seeing restaurants and F&B concepts expand throughout Europe, such as KERB’s recent announcement of a new site in Berlin, and we’re also seeing expansion across the pond. Shelley Sandzer helped take Chotto Matte to San Francisco, which is opening this year, and there are plenty more examples to call upon for transatlantic moves. Countless cities around the globe are ripe with opportunity, but my experience of Dubai gave me pause for thought. The Middle East is really coming into its own as a destination for expansion, and its only a matter of time before it becomes a natural steppingstone for international growth of UK operators.
"What Dubai highlights in my mind
is that hospitality should be
a cornerstone of every location"
Spanish chef and restaurateur José Pizarro is opening a new restaurant in Abu Dhabi, San Carlo has partnered with Sunset House Group to open a restaurant in Dubai, and even Rosa’s Thai has made its international debut in the city, too. There are opportunities for successful F&B concepts left, right, and centre, and there is nothing better than to feel value from a location. Dubai really delivers that sense of importance which can lack in the UK to some degree; we are so often guilty of taking hospitality for granted.
I learnt a lot from my trip, and have definitely brought back a sense of motivation and eagerness. We are always looking at international growth for our clients, and already have several deals lined up with high-profile UK leisure operators to make the move into the UAE. There is much more to take away than me becoming an ambassador for setting up shop in Dubai. London doesn’t need a reset, and for so many reasons it is still my favourite place on this planet to go for a meal, grab a coffee, or enjoy an evening out. We do, however, need to move away from assuming the city’s hospitality heritage is enough on its own to sustain itself, and work towards understanding how and why more modern cities are treating hospitality as a foundation of an evolving offer.
Dubai was fascinating in every sense. While my roots will always stay grounded with London, I’m looking forward to what will happen for our industry this year with a firm gaze over the border. Following a strong first few months, there is a strong sense of optimism on the horizon.
Ted Schama is joint managing partner at Shelley Sandzer.