Wagamama capitalised on the demand for casual dining, with new outlets planned for 2011.
The region’s F&B scene is known for its fast development, but one sector that seems to be outstripping all others is casual dining. Lucy Taylor finds out why people are hankering for casual options and discovers the challenges operators face in delivering them.
Throw the words ‘Dubai’ and ‘dining’ at someone a few years ago, and their thoughts would have flown straight to fine fare.
This is a hospitality industry that founded its roots in luxury and for a long time, the F&B buzz words were ‘Michelin star’, ‘fusion’, ‘gastro’ and other top-end terms.
But two major changes over the past few years have completely altered — or perhaps evened out — the region’s range of food and beverage offerings.
The first of these is of course the ever-mentioned economic downturn, bringing penny-pinching and cost consciousness to a region that previously didn’t know the terms.
The second factor is the booming tourism industry.
As the Middle East’s destination status grows, it attracts a more diverse range of tourists — from honeymooners to families, from GCC nationals to visitors from the other side of the world.
And they want all their tastes catered for; so just as the region has expanded its hotel offerings to incorporate everything from self-proclaimed seven-star to budget options, so the F&B industry has spread its wings to offer every edible alternative the tastebuds could desire.
And integral to this rainbow of restaurant types is the casual dining concept: targeting the middle range market and, therefore, appealing to a whole spectrum of consumers.
It’s been difficult in the past to quantify the success of this field here.
According to Stefan Breg, ‘chief worrier’ at F&B creative strategist firm TRIBE, to date there’s been a surprising lack of data available on the Middle East’s casual dining scene.
But, as he explains, that is about to change. Tribe was recently engaged by UK-based foodservice research company Horizons to analyse the UAE’s eating-out market.