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 Europe is down, cost pressures are up. That's precisely why the opportunity exists.

Good sites are appearing that weren't available three years ago. Landlords are flexible. Deal structures are realistic.

I saw a version of this after 2009. Businesses from the Middle East expanded into the UK not because Europe was thriving, but because they had strong financial backing and could take a long view on sites that wouldn't perform immediately.

If you need a hospitality investment to print cash in month one, London will frustrate you. But if you can weather the first couple of years and build properly, you come out with a serious market presence that's expensive to acquire when conditions improve.

This is how the best restaurant strategy works. Counter-cyclical moves, made from a position of strength.

London is still a global hub. Operators are pulling back, sites are changing hands, and the demand hasn't disappeared. It's being redistributed.

For GCC hospitality market operators investing with a five to ten year horizon, this window won't stay open forever.

When was the last time you saw this many quality sites available at once?