Insights
Thoughts on restaurant strategy, market entry, operational performance and leadership. These pieces are drawn from ongoing work and conversations with founders, CEOs and ownership groups across the Middle East and international markets.
Should your business be in Dubai? And if so, when?
I hear this question constantly. Sites move quickly, decision windows are short, and competitors announce openings. The market's momentum creates a...
After multiple UAE openings, the delays are rarely where people expect
If an opening gets delayed here, it’s rarely the concept or the design. It’s the operational mechanics most expansion teams underestimate. 1. Timing...
If you're expanding across multiple sites or regions, your support structure needs to work harder than you think
I see the same gaps appear as businesses scale: 1. Information reaches the centre too late Central teams can only support what they can see. When...
Most of the meaningful work I’m involved in now was built on relationships formed years ago
Three, five, sometimes ten years ago. Former colleagues. People from previous suppliers and partners. A lot of coffees that, at the time, felt like...
Before a guest ever walks in, they’ve already decided how busy your restaurant feels
It starts with the booking screen. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve written about pricing and sectioning as ways to shape demand without resorting...
Growth is easy to copy. What great founders do next isn’t
Most teams default to replication. Open more sites ➝ Enter new markets ➝ Extend the same model. The founders who really change the shape of a...
Tourist spots do not automatically equal a great hospitality site
This is probably the most common conversation I have about location here. Some areas look fantastic on paper, but in reality would be a headache long...
When a restaurant feels empty, the instinct is usually to fill it
Comp tables. Invite influencers. Create noise. The problem isn’t demand. It’s perception. Last week, I wrote about why guests choose busy rooms over...
19.6 million visitors in 2025
December alone hit 2 million for the first time. Three consecutive years of record-breaking tourism numbers. For anyone working in the GCC...
For the third year running, Dubai's tourism sector has broken its own records
Dubai had 19.6 million visitors in 2025 (+5% YoY), with December reaching 2 million visitors in a single month for the first time. Impressive stats....
When a brand succeeds in Dubai, the question eventually comes: where next?
For many groups, the answer is London. It feels like the natural step - established market, global visibility, long-term credibility. I’ve opened in...
A busy restaurant doesn’t just reflect demand…
It creates demand I was talking with Josh about something he’d noticed. He arrived early at a cafe that was starting to get busy. Within 45 minutes,...
The long-term investment opportunity: Expanding into London
I'm having more conversations lately with GCC operators who are considering expanding the other way and securing a foothold in London, whilst pricing...
Two patterns I've seen across every opening:
Every opening follows the same pattern: You launch, PR goes out, influencers show up, bookings spike. For a few weeks, it feels like you've nailed...
If it's this hard with five sites, what's it going to be like with twenty?
I've seen plenty of businesses grow quickly off the back of a strong concept and strong team. Sites are busy, revenue is healthy, and everyone's...
The government is preparing a bailout for pubs - a bailout from the problem they have *just* created!?
The Times ran a piece last week on Rachel Reeves preparing a business rates bailout for pubs. Yes, pubs need support, and nobody disputes that. But...
Overstretching your existing sites to fund expansion isn't a winning strategy
It’s a short-term fix with long-term consequences, and a mistake I’ve seen time and again: A new opening takes priority. The best people are pulled...
I keep having the same conversation with different founders:
'We've grown, we've hired good people, but I'm still the bottleneck.' They are asking the same question in different ways: Why they're still signing...
If your customer base is “everyone”, how do you know what they actually want?
When a restaurant is underperforming, the instinct is usually to add more. Whether it’s marketing, menu items, or events, there’s a belief that more...
Dubai treats New Year's Eve like a good business
This was our third one back here, and each year it gets bigger and more organised. We live right Downtown, which is the epicentre of it all, so we...
You can't manage a business in real-time using six-week-old data
Many operators manage their business by looking backwards: Last week’s sales, last month’s P&L, and last quarter’s guest feedback. The typical...
Opening a restaurant in Dubai is not like opening one in London
The differences will catch you out if you're not prepared. Seasonality here operates on a different scale. In London, summer might dip 20% before...
I book Carbone months before I travel to New York. That demand didn't happen by accident
Without advance booking, you're not getting in. Demand like that doesn't come from one launch event or a viral moment - it compounds when operators...
The most common mistakes UK hospitality brands make when expanding to Dubai
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having conversations with operators and leadership teams considering GCC expansion. The same assumptions keep...
You can't manage a business in real-time using six-week-old data
Many operators manage their business by looking backwards: Last week’s sales, last month’s P&L, and last quarter’s guest feedback. The typical...
Most operators budget for the restaurant they want to open
Very few budget for the one they'll actually end up running. The cost of opening a restaurant in Dubai catches people out, not because the numbers...
A great brand name will get you attention in Dubai. It won't keep you open
I've watched strong international restaurants fail here because they didn't understand how this city actually works. Restaurant business setup in...
The test of leadership comes when things don't go to plan
It’s easy to create the illusion of a good leader. In hospitality, when the floor is full and everything runs smoothly, almost anyone can look the...
Inputs over outputs
The metrics that too many venues ignore (that predicts long-term success). It's easy to get caught chasing follower counts, database numbers, and...
If you can't explain why someone's in the meeting, they shouldn't be there
Most businesses drown in meetings because nobody's clear on who actually needs to be there. I've seen venue project meetings where every senior...
Dubai rewards the prepared, not the optimistic
It’s easier to set up here than almost anywhere else in the world. The systems work, the environment supports business, and the market moves fast....
I get asked for restaurant tables at least once a week
Usually friends of friends. Often for places I haven't worked at in months or years. Recently, someone messaged asking for a table at Sirene for that...
If your customer base is “everyone”, how do you know what they actually want?
When a restaurant is underperforming, the instinct is usually to add more. Whether it’s marketing, menu items, or events, there’s a belief that more...
If two people own the task, nobody owns the task
This summer, HSBC’s newly appointed CEO took his senior team offsite with one goal: A culture reset, centred on accountability. When a 200-year-old...
Few markets in the world offer what Dubai does
I've worked on over 100 venue openings around the world, and the difference here is tangible. Start with the people. In Dubai, talent relocates with...
The economic principle every good operator understands
Every operator knows you can't just keep putting up your prices. When revenue is under pressure, the temptation is to squeeze more from the guests...
The financial reality every new venue needs to plan for
Many openings make choices in the first six months that set themselves up for failure. Across all the regions I’ve worked in, I've seen too often -...
Why senior UK talent keeps choosing Dubai
Alasdair Haynes, founder of Aquis Exchange, has relocated to Dubai after a £10m exit. Another name on a list that keeps growing. From an operational...
The 'industry experience' barrier that's holding hospitality back
Last week, a talented senior marketer from a luxury fashion brand reached out for advice. She has a strong CRM background, deep digital strategy...
The format driving demand in hospitality is changing
Where mega-clubs once dominated, today's guests are choosing lounges, high-energy bars, and beach clubs - often at different times of day than we'd...
London punishes optimistic timelines
After succeeding in Dubai, many restaurant groups look to London as the natural next step. Global visibility, long-term credibility, and an...
Abu Dhabi has quietly built one of the most compelling cultural portfolios in the world
Yas Marina's Formula 1 track, the Louvre, the Guggenheim. The city balances world-class entertainment with serious investment in art and...
Abu Dhabi continues to raise the bar
Over the last 15 years, Abu Dhabi has built one of the most compelling cultural and leisure portfolios in the world. With landmarks such as Yas...
Your best site is quietly dying while you open your next one
I see this pattern regularly when working with operators scaling a restaurant business. The new opening becomes the priority. Top talent gets pulled...
How do you prepare for a launch 81 stories high?
Openings everywhere are intense, and Tattu Dubai was no exception. Preparing a venue at the height of the Ciel Dubai Marina, the world’s tallest...
Most restaurant P&Ls tell you what went wrong weeks ago
By the time you read the numbers, they're already irrelevant. Too many operators manage their business by looking backwards. Last week's sales, last...
A feasibility study should tell you whether to proceed
Too many of them are written to confirm a decision that's already been made. If your restaurant feasibility study doesn't include at least one...
What I tell anyone who asks about opening a hospitality business in Dubai
Plan for the unknown. Seasonality here operates differently than anywhere else I've worked. In London, summer might drop 20% before Christmas brings...
The metric that actually predicts whether a restaurant survives year two
Most operators obsess over covers, follower counts, and opening-week revenue. I get it. Those numbers feel real. But chasing outcomes without...
Nobody wants to be the first table
A friend mentioned something he'd noticed recently. He sat down at a cafe that was starting to fill up. Within the hour, every outside seat was...
UK restaurant expansion to the Middle East fails for the same reasons every time
I've been speaking with operators and leadership teams considering GCC expansion recently, and the same costly assumptions keep surfacing. "Location...
The thing that delays most restaurant openings in Dubai isn't the concept
After working on multiple UAE openings, I can tell you the pattern is remarkably consistent. Teams arrive with ambitious timelines, confident their...
The underpinnings of Dubai success that many brands miss
International names still carry weight, but success here comes down to understanding how this market works. The geography matters more than you...
Why every hospitality professional should be looking at Dubai right now
I've worked on over 100 venue openings around the world. And I can say with confidence: few regions offer what the UAE does right now. The people...
The single biggest cause of delay in restaurant openings has nothing to do with construction
It's unclear accountability. Across more than 100 new restaurant opening plans, the projects that stall rarely do so because of capability or market...
Forty covers in a 150-seat room will always feel flat
No matter how good the food is. When a restaurant feels quiet, the instinct is to fill seats. Comp tables, invite influencers, create noise. But the...
Most restaurant projects don't fail because of bad design
They fail because nobody was watching the gap between what was designed and what actually got built. That's what an owner's representative does. You...
High footfall does not guarantee high spend
This is probably the most common mistake I see when advising on restaurant business setup in Dubai. An area looks perfect on paper, but the reality...
Saudi Arabia is building a hospitality industry almost from scratch
That's either a massive opportunity or an expensive lesson, depending on how you enter. The numbers are real. Vision 2030 is driving billions into...
When a restaurant is underperforming, the instinct is always to add more
The real issue is usually simpler than that. Brand. Site. Team. Food and drink. If any of those fundamentals aren't right, no amount of activity will...
If running two sites feels chaotic, twenty-two will be unmanageable
I've watched plenty of restaurant groups grow quickly off a strong concept. Sites are busy, revenue looks healthy, and everyone's working flat out....
Dubai's staff turnover problem is not inevitable
Dubai's hospitality industry has a staff turnover problem that most operators treat as inevitable. It isn't. Yes, the market is transient. Often,...
The Dubai restaurant market is booming. That doesn't mean you should rush in
I get asked about opening a restaurant in Dubai almost every week. The pressure is real. Sites move fast, competitors are announcing launches, and...
Opening a restaurant in Dubai is easier than almost anywhere else
The infrastructure works, the licensing is straightforward, and the market moves quickly. But ease of entry is not the same as ease of success. I've...
Most new restaurants don't fail because the concept is wrong
They fail because the cash runs out before momentum builds. Across every market I've worked in, the pattern repeats. Operators underestimate how long...
Hospitality wants fresh thinking, then rejects anyone without restaurant experience
A senior marketer from luxury fashion contacted me recently. Strong CRM background, sharp digital strategy, real brand partnerships experience. She...
Most restaurant operators set their prices by guessing
They look at what their competitor charges and add or subtract a bit. That's not menu engineering. That's guessing. Proper menu engineering starts...
Dubai is now the world's second-ranked culinary destination, behind only Paris
That's according to the 2024 Annual Report from the Department of Economy and Tourism, and the numbers behind it are worth paying attention to. 18.7...
Dubai has officially ranked 2nd globally as a leading culinary destination
Dubai has officially ranked 2nd globally as a leading culinary destination in the 2024 Annual Report by the Department of Economy and Tourism, second...
Is the mega-club still relevant?
Lounges, high-energy bars and beach clubs are trying to kill it. In London, nightlife now lives in bars with character, members' clubs, and venues...
Your meetings are full of people who don't need to be there
I've sat in restaurant pre-opening meetings where fourteen people dial in, and only three of them speak. The same discussion gets repeated across a...
GCC hospitality operators are quietly looking abroad
I'm having more conversations with Dubai-based groups considering a London foothold while pricing and availability are favourable. Consumer spend in...
A full restaurant on a Friday night can make almost anyone look like a good leader
Guests are happy. The team is focused. Standards feel effortless. But hospitality leadership is never really tested when things are going well. It's...
Scaling a restaurant business usually starts the same way
Most teams default to replication because it feels safe. But the founders who genuinely change the shape of their business pause and ask something...
80,000 job applications in one month
It’s no secret that Dubai is one of the hottest places to live and work right now, but even I was surprised to read these figures shared by the...
Scaling a restaurant business exposes every gap you ignored at three sites
The same problems appear every time a group moves from a handful of locations to multi-site restaurant operations across regions. I've watched it...
Your booking screen is telling guests more than you think
Every time slot open. Every table available. It looks welcoming, but it reads as empty. And an empty-looking restaurant loses the reservation before...
The last six weeks before a restaurant opens are when most of the damage gets done
Not because the fit-out falls behind (though it often does). Because the operational workstreams that should have started months earlier get...
If anyone is keen on a new challenge for 2025… Dubai is seemingly the place for it!
For the second year running, Dubai has been ranked 1st regionally and 8th globally in the Global Power City Index 2024. Anyone who’s lived and worked...
Every founder says the same thing: I'm still the bottleneck
They're still signing off invoices. Senior hires keep escalating decisions upward. Stepping away feels riskier now than when the business was...
Every new restaurant opening follows the same arc
You launch. PR goes out, influencers arrive, bookings spike. For a few weeks, it feels like you've nailed it. Then it drops. Not dead, but noticeably...
A year in Dubai
Whilst a year has flown by, it also feels like I’ve been here much longer. In just the past 12 months, we have; Expanded our business into London,...
Summer is a very different time in Dubai
Whilst many residents travel to cooler climates, tourists (who perhaps haven’t checked the temperature before booking!) descend on the region as the...