< Previouscaterermiddleeast.com December 2020 30 Power List Stephen Flawith Founder and CEO, Pickl Naim Maadad Chief executive and founder, Gates Hospitality While most businesses hunkered down and tried to shield themselves from the worst effects of Covid-19, Stephen Flawith went into overdrive. Almost overnight, two more Pickls opened up in strategic destinations around Dubai to maximise geographical coverage. With residents on lockdown, and then less willing to venture out, Pickl was well placed to cater to the increase in delivery demand. Instead of laying staff off, they were spread across all sites, and retrained if necessary, and as more sites opened, and restrictions were lifted, a further 30 staff were brought on to handle demand. The burger joint may have only been founded in Dubai in 2019, but with a total of six sites opened by the end of the year, an ever-expanding lifestyle clothing line, plus a Time Out Market appearance coming in 2021, the Pickl empire is well on its way. 3 4 It’s been a busy old year for Naim Maadad. Already one of the most recognisable faces in the Dubai F&B scene, you’ll have seen him even more often than usual, thanks to his presence on multiple industry boards. As a founding member of the Middle East Restaurant Association, plus a board member of Dubai Restaurants Business Group, Maadad has been beamed directly into our homes via Zoom for innumerable panel discussions this year. When he’s not sharing his expertise, he’s still found time to focus on his restaurants, and expansion is on the cards as Folly by Nick & Scott is heading to the Time Out Market early next year as well. Independents “Fun, innovative, and quirky takes on a standard burger” “Strong brand pillars helped the company to stand its ground”31 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Power List 5 Paul Evans and Freek Teusink Founders, Solutions Leisure The power pair at the top of Solutions Leisure machine never seem to stop working. While it hasn’t been the action packed 2020 it could have been, for obvious reasons, turning Q43 into Baby Q has kept the team’s creative juices owing and set everything up nicely for what is promising to be a big 2021. While Paul Evans and Freek Teusink may be steering the ship, they’re quick to acknowledge their team and with a number of Lock, Stock & Barrels and several more concepts in the pipeline, sales and marketing director Spencer Hartwell and operations director Sacha Daniel will have key roles to play in the coming years. Tom Arnel Managing director, Bull&Roo Hospitality and Investments We all want to showcase the best of our home cuisine to the world, but Bhupender Nath can legitimately say he has done it. Tresind’s contemporary Indian dishes has seen it placed on The World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s Discovery list, alongside just 10 other Dubai venues. In fact, it was there twice, with both its original outlet and Carnival by Tresind featuring. Both of those are probably outdone by Tresind Studio, however. Nath’s latest project alongside chef Himanshu Saini has managed to shine through the pandemic, rst releasing a street-food inspired season, before showcasing its latest garden-themed menu last month - another crowd pleaser. Tom Arnel is keen to “spearhead a movement, not a moment”. That’s the ambition that is driving the Melbourne born and raised chef turned restaurateur ever forward. Having already made a huge impact on the Dubai F&B scene with Tom&Serg, it’s Bull&Roo’s other brands that are now sharing the limelight. While 2020 has been about steadying the ship, announcements including an upcoming 15,000 sq ft dining destination in Dubai with eight different brands and a multi-storey F&B concept in JLT Central Park suggest the movement is still ongoing. Bhupender Nath Founder and MD, Passion F&B 6 7 Independentscaterermiddleeast.com December 2020 32 Power List in the shadow of Burj Khalifa. Despite the challenges caused by coronavirus, Homer has spearheaded efforts to drive traf c using everything from social media to Lincoln’s team of photographers and videographers, and all outlets have reopened and are thriving – so much so that other restaurants have asked for Lincoln’s help in turning around their businesses. Homer is the rst to say he doesn’t do it alone, saying “this isn’t a one man show” and highlighting the team he has put together at Lincoln. A team that will soon be going overseas with the opening of the La Serre brand in King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2021. That’s set to be followed by both London and New York as Homer looks to keep Lincoln evolving through the challenges and pushing forward on all fronts, with La Serre leading the way as the group’s agship homegrown brand. The future is bright. Ralph Homer showcased his entrepreneurial skills from an early age, raising AED233,000 from a consortium of 20 investors when just 15-years-old to open a hole-in-the-wall in Abu Dhabi selling Arabic saaj and shawarma. Three decades on and Homer aims a bit bigger with his concepts. Lincoln Hospitality Inc. operates La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie, Distillery Gastropub, Taikun Pan Asian Restaurant & Lounge, and The Loft & Dubai Opera, all in Dubai Ralph Homer Co-founder and CEO, Lincoln Hospitality Inc. Independents “Staying hungry for success during these times is vital”33 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Power List and was back to full salaries from June — well ahead of expectations. While Saideh has always looked to put his employees rst, it was only possible during such a trying time for the company thanks to the ingenuity in creating new revenue streams while its restaurants, Alici and Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, were closed. As well as implementing delivery services for its food, Orange Hospitality partnered with African + Eastern to delivery Il Borro wines to loyal customers, and introduced gift vouchers to be used post-lockdown. Expanding globally is the next frontier for Saideh, with Il Borro London slated for a Q1 2021 opening in the heart of Mayfair. There’s also a third concept from the group, a brasserie, opening in Dubai’s nancial centre in Q4 2021 – with both new venues encapsulating Saideh’s desire to capture the best locations to t each of his restaurants. Not many restaurateurs are expecting to outperform 2019 this year, but Omar Saideh is no ordinary operator. Not only is Orange Hospitality on track for a pro table 2020, it looks set to smash last year’s gures, despite the unfortunate effects of the coronavirus. In fact, while others were forced into redundancies, Orange Hospitality maintained 50 percent of employee salaries during lockdown, offered free staff accommodation for three months, Omar Saideh Founder, Orange Hospitality Independents ”Our vision is to achieve a global footprint in hospitality”caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 34 Power List Having opened Indian street-food restaurant Mohalla at D3 in 2018, it’s become a rm favourite of Emiratis in particular, and some smart marketing during the coronavirus pandemic, including introducing reusable crockery for home delivery orders, has kept it front and centre in people’s minds. Then last year saw the introduction of Marea, the Michelin-starred restaurant from New York City and one of parent company Altamarea Group’s shining lights. Located in DIFC, chef Michael White has been over a number of times to perfect the concept and tailor it for Dubai’s audience, and it has recently launched an intimate downstairs bar to attract the area’s late night crowd. But while Dubai may be the heart of the company, its future lies in Saudi Arabia. Ten Mohallas have already been signed up, while Italian venue Morini will open in Riyadh before the end of 2020. In her 17 years in the industry, with 10 of them here in the Middle East, Panchali Mahendra has seen and done it all. From conceptualising to opening and operating 45 restaurants, Mahendra is often called upon as a respected industry leader. Now it’s her leadership of Atelier House Hospitality that is making waves, as she takes the homegrown company with New York roots onto success after success in the region. Independents “Mahendra is set to launch The Host, an Emirati cooking and culinary studio” Panchali Mahendra Managing director, Atelier House Hospitality35 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Power List the diversity of Sunset Hospitality Group has proven to be its biggest strength in this pandemic. While the nightlife area has suffered, its beach clubs, such as Drift and Azure, have seen record numbers, and even expanded to offer new private areas for those looking to ensure they are socially distanced. This has allowed the group to push forward with expansion plans for Black Tap, and it has more big openings on the horizon. Although delayed by a year, SushiSamba and Aura Skypool are still highly anticipated and are still set to open alongside Expo 2020 as previously planned. Gonzalez and Hafez also welcomed The Entertainer founder Donna Benton to the group last year and her market expertise will be pivotal as Sunset pushes ahead with a number of international franchise and homegrown offerings in the coming years. You can’t accuse Antonio Gonzalez and Nazih Hafez of not being bold. With the lockdown in full force and with the likelihood of busy malls looking very far on the horizon, they never wavered in their resolve to bring New York-born burger joint Black Tap to both The Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates. While others have tried to pivot to more local, community-based locations, Franchisees “The industry must retain and maintain our loyal customers” Antonio Gonzalez and Nazih Hafez CEO and COO, Sunset Hospitality Groupcaterermiddleeast.com December 2020 36 Power List strategy of working with top local talent such as Izu Ani for its own concepts, while also exploring opportunities to take franchised international brands around the world. Saudi Arabia looks like it will be the next big focus for Bulldozer, with almost all its restaurants set to move to the Kingdom and a new base of operations being established. Operating a mix of both franchised and homegrown brands, Bulldozer Group continues its success year after year. The end of 2019 saw its latest DIFC opening with Shanghai Me proving an instant hit, while Gaia made its way to Monte Carlo, before Scalini went to Riyadh at the start of 2020. Evgeny Kuzin is continuing to adopt a Evgeny Kuzin Chairman and co-founder, Bulldozer Group Franchisees “The UAE and its inspirational leaders have given us the platform to grow”37 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Power List By signing up with new technology applications such as Chatfood and Repeat, Kunnappally has ensured that Nando’s has been able to reach its customers in new ways, offer them discounts to encourage loyalty, and saved on costly aggregator delivery fees. He has also emerged as a voice for the industry, his pearls of wisdom on everything from delivery aggregators, then landlord-tenant relationship, and the role of regulators, helping bring the industry together. Kunnappally was one of the rst signatories of the initiatives of MERA with the Dubai Executive Council on behalf of F&B operators and he’s a founding member of the recently launched Dubai Restaurants Group. Looking to the future, Nando’s is set to expand further, with Kunnappally identifying neighbourhoods and street side locations to encourage growth. Having opened an outlet in one of the most coveted locations in the world, facing the Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa at The Dubai Mall, at the end of 2019, this year was setup to be one of the best for Nando’s. While the pandemic has made things more dif cult, the strong leadership of George Kunnappally has made sure that its recovery has been swifter than most. George Kunnappally Managing director, Nando’s UAE LLC Franchisees “We came together as a family to overcome the crisis”caterermiddleeast.com December 2020 38 Power List 4 Elias Madbak Managing director, Rmal Hospitality Quickly moving to a four-day work week and being among the rst to implement digital menus and disposable menus on place mate were just some of the ways that Rmal Hospitality reacted quickly to the coronavirus pandemic to protect its staff and its bottom line. Elias Madbak is a rm believer that customers will return to their normal routines in time, and proved it by opening a Wagamama in Dubai’s Motor City in June and watching it smash its pre-Covid targets. He has also taken advantage of the insecurity in the market to line up new locations at favourable rates for the coming year. Mert Askin President, food and beverage, Azadea Group With more than 20 years of experience running international franchise brands, Karim Hajjali is currently leading Food Quest as it operates Denny’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, EETEN Urban Kitchen, and Zambar. Faced with the unprecedented coronavirus challenge, Hajjali has encouraged cross delivering other brands from existing kitchens in a dark kitchen format as well as developing brand speci c apps to encourage direct ordering to avoid aggregator charges. With a huge brand set to make some noise when it is nveiled soon, and a focus on smaller formats and community coverage, 2021 should see further growth for Food Quest. Operating the likes of Paul Café, Eataly, The Butcher Shop & Grill, New Shanghai, and more in the Middle East, Azadea Group has faced a huge challenge with malls particularly hard hit by the pandemic. However, Mert Askin has proved equal to the task, helping his 130 outlets navigate through the storm by quickly adapting to the crisis as it happened and speeding up the conversion to mobile and digital. Taking his place on the Dubai Restaurants Group board, Askin will be sharing his knowledge to help the industry come out of this stronger. Karim Hajjali CEO, Food Quest Restaurants Management LLC 5 6 Franchisees39 December 2020 caterermiddleeast.com Power List 7 910 Louay Ghandour Group managing director, Cravia Inc LLC Andy Holman Ceo, Eathos Ravi Chandran CEO, The Coffee Club Tapan Vaidya Group CEO, PJP Investments Group With a portfolio including Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Zaatar w Zeit, and Five Guys, Louay Ghandour has always had strong growth as part of his mandate at Cravia. He’s certainly achieved that, with Cravia and its pro t It’s been the year of the virtual brands for Eathos, with Andy Holman taking advantage of the group’s back of house exibility to launch a number of new concepts through its own The discount culture is widely regarded as a scourge on the F&B industry, and Ravi Chandran has been tackling it head on.By stepping away from the BOGOF offers and instead directing customers A restaurant industry veteran, Tapan Vaidya has been a regular face on Zoom over lockdown, sharing his wide F&B knowledge and hands- on experience in a number of industry panels. Currently heading up PJP Investments Group, owner- 8 increasing by 400 percent since he took of ce. Now with dine-in declining following the pandemic, Ghandour is tasked with continuing that progress but with a stronger focus on delivery and nding new revenue streams. dedicated cloud kitchen and with other operators. It has doubled its operational footprint and has a number of new ideas in the pipeline while retaining the likes of Sushi Art and Kababji. to The Coffee Club’s own loyalty app, it has increased repeat visits and spend. In innovation, The Coffee Club continues to lead with its smart eating menus proving an instant success. operators of Papa John’s in the UAE, Vaidya oversees the group’s 54 locations. Despite the pandemic, Papa John’s has opened nine new locations 2020, and committed to a no job loss pledge which has been adhered to. FranchiseesNext >