Pop-up franchises more than a passing trend?
In the era of social media, zapping and ever-changing new trends, restaurant operators have a challenging time staying in vogue. Changing your décor, menu and vibe every other month to keep customers on their toes is a big ask for many venues and perhaps difficult to achieve for some. The growing trend of pop-up concepts, however, could be a way around the problem. Setting up a temporary restaurant may initially seem quite ambitious, given that it requires an upfront investment similar to what’s required for a permanent project, before closing down soon after. But don’t judge this book by its cover, as Nagi Morkos, managing partner at Hodema consulting services, explains
Chains and franchises VS stand-alone restaurants
The topic of whether Dubai has yet to establish itself as a true food-destination city is one that prompts animated discussion within the industry. Some experts think independent restaurants are at risk of falling into the standardization trap and losing that all-important passion for food. Daniel During, principal and management director of Thomas Klein International, looks at the pitfalls and how to avoid them
Interview with Fadi Safadi
In an exclusive interview to HN, Hodema consulting services talks with Fadi Safadi, founder of Al Safadi, a successful F&B concept launched in 1994, in Beirut, Lebanon.
All wrapped up
Individual single-serving F&B products were very probably first introduced primarily to accommodate the commercial airline industry’s space constraints on aircrafts. The concept was then adopted by hotels over time, leading to global brands using them to serve consumers in povertystricken markets. As people began to spend more time outside of their homes, global and local brands have created their own concepts to cater to an ever-growing audience. HN unpacks this important industry to find out more.
A spirited affair: spotlight on whisky
Malts and blends were at a fever pitch at this year’s Whisky Live Beirut as spirit aficionados assessed the current market and launched a few future stars. Experts and brand ambassadors attending the show gave us a heads up on what’s here and what’s to come.
HORECA Lebanon on the horizon
Marking its 27th edition at Beirut’s Seaside Arena from March 24-27, 2020, HORECA Lebanon is the country’s largest hospitality and foodservice event. We take a look at what’s in store at the four-day exhibition.
Expanding an Empire
Prominent Lebanese restaurateur Pierre Ziadeh and his partner Souhail Nassar took over the Minet El Hosn area of Downtown Beirut in 2009 with international culinary concepts and development. Through SP Holding, Ziadeh has now successfully expanded throughout the Middle East and is on track to franchise the first of many unique concepts in 2020.
Clean as a whistle
Any owner, operator or employee at a hotel or restaurant will tell you that the associated elements to ensure an optimally hygiene-friendly hospitality environment, are staggering. These generally depend on two main factors – machines and the best practices system(s) instituted by the operators.
Articulating Spaces
The interior architect Ramy Boutros sees movement in every texture, life in every stone, warmth in every metal and a dance in every fabric. Specializing in realizing dreams, he is an expert at breathing new life into any space. Here, HN talks to him about the challenges involved in designing some of Lebanon’s most successful homegrown F&B concepts.
