Safe dining: How the UAE restaurant industry has navigated the pandemic
We spoke to both industry insiders and diners on how radically eating out has changed
When Dubai resident Hicham Younis went to a restaurant for the first time post lockdown, at one point he felt he was right back at home. The restaurant was near empty, and the nearest diners were so far from him and his wife due to the segregation of tables, it was like sitting in his own little island. “That just immediately killed the vibe for me,” the 35-year-old Product and Marketing Manager based in Dubai, said.
“A huge aspect that made the dining experience special and worthwhile went missing. Plus I’ve had to start hanging out with less people. I’ve now started choosing restaurants that offer up some entertainment or music to make up for the loss of a vibe.”
Just like Younis, Dubai resident Ellie Keene said with less tables and therefore less people around creating an atmosphere, restaurants felt strange to her when she went back to them. “I often felt I was sitting in my own pod. Lots of places have either taken tables out, there’s signs on tables that you can’t sit there, or of course physical plastic barriers. Social interaction was obviously more limited, which didn't come naturally to me.
"I miss standing at a bar and chatting. Planning a birthday and not having to worry about the amount of people. And dancing – I think I might have forgotten how to dance!”
Before the pandemic, I don’t think I realised how important the hospitality industry is to our mental health, and our ability to connect. From the friendly welcome on arrival, kind waitstaff to the thrill of a get-together and catch up with friends and family, the little things mean so much.
Arriving at the first restaurant I went to post-lockdown, I remember thinking it was amazing how well we have all adapted, and how much we took for granted. Before the pandemic, I didn’t value the luxury of simply popping out for a coffee or sharing an exquisite meal with friends. I realised my home cooking skills really are no match for the culinary offerings in this city. This pandemic has been terrifying for a myriad of reasons, but restaurants give us a visual representation and portrayal of the lengths people will go to, in order to keep each other safe.
Similarly, Dubai resident Lara Geadah stopped going out in groups as the coronavirus hit close home, and started keeping her outings simple, going out with her partner only. “I love to eat and dine out - and I also love to order. Both of these things are more restricted now.
"So I don’t really enjoy eating out the way I used to, and there’s a fair bit of guilt at times that I’m not being as safe as I could be! But I am prudent. I miss not having to worry. I also miss going out in groups.”
Plexiglass dividers, masks, gloves and other protective clothing, disinfection and cleaning procedures, temperature checks, monitoring health of staff… the pandemic changed our dining experience in one fell swoop. Capacity limits and a less-busy-than-usual restaurant meant there wasn’t a huge vibe. What made a restaurant dining experience beguiling for a lot of people was other people, and a lack of it meant many people were less inclined to eat out.
Reviving this vibe has been one massive challenge, and while fears of a permanent change in dining behaviour have persisted, we’ve seen the UAE come back to normal over the past few weeks.
So how have restaurants coped?
Capacity limits
Tomas Dundulis, General Manager at Lucky Voice in Dubai, said reduced capacity and restrictions on movement inside venues have been the biggest challenges for restaurants and bars. “People go to bars to socialise and with the new rules in place it isn’t really possible to do that. This has a huge influence on our revenue and customer experience.”
This is echoed across restaurants. William Trist – Head of Kitchen Operations for dining group Bull&Roo, which manages cafes such as Tom&Serg, The Sum of Us and Common Grounds, said seating at venues being reduced has a pretty significant effect at peak times. “We have had to be clever about the seating layout to maximise seating but also provide the safest restaurant we possibly can.”
Restaurants have definitely had to get creative to work around the issue. “Some of our venues have the potential for more seats outside. We’re building a new terrace area at The Sum of Us and extra seating in the mezzanine area at Common Grounds Mall of the Emirates,” Trist said.
This is not all bad news. Trist said reduced seating works in favour of not only diners but also waiters. “Everyone has more space now - squeezing between tightly packed tables as a waiter, or knocking someone's chair as a guest when you stand, are things of a pre-Covid world.”
Wassim Zouein, Managing Partner of Iris, said the new normal has had a huge impact on the ambience and atmosphere of the dining experience. “While we have to work harder to deliver our signature experience, it definitely feels like there is a missing element to the overall experience, especially when guests are not permitted to stand or dance. Operating at a lower capacity has without doubt affected the restaurant industry financially and we are all in a kind of ‘survival mode’.”
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Dining vs nightlife
Dundulis from Lucky Voice said while the dining experience has restrictions, the core business model for dining destinations hasn’t been affected as badly as bars and nightlife venues. “Restaurants can still have quite a few seats and if the food is good they will fill it and manage to get some decent revenue. On the other hand, bars and nightlife venues are struggling much more as usually the seating capacity is much lower due to dance floors and bar areas. All the diner feedback we got was mostly directed to this aspect of social distancing and the dancing ban.”
Dining deals
Dundulis from Lucky Voice said a huge change in consumer behaviour post pandemic has revolved around “aggressively hunting for deals. This is coupled with a reduction in their visits to restaurants and choosing to dine at home instead.”
Djordje Kukanjac, Restaurant manager from Larte, agrees, saying the current crisis has led consumers to be even more budget conscious. “Always looking out for the best deals, offers and promotions. Deals where food and beverage are included perform the best overall and we’ve seen that the restaurant is led by a beverage spend rather than a food spend. We’ve seen an increase in the number of guests booking our Ladies Nights and Unlimited deals ....”
Zouein from Iris said diners now prefer to have a predetermined set price for the experience rather than an open tab. “It’s not to say they are looking for a budget deal, they simply want to know how much they are going to spend in advance.”
Smaller groups
Chef Andres Aguilar-Aguila Loustaunau from Tulum in Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue said dining out has changed from a more wild experience, to a more calm experience catered to foodies, with the new normal now “smaller groups and when it’s a celebration, we accommodate our diners in a special area so they can still be in some way be together if they are big groups.”
Larte has seen an increase in intimate dining experiences - smaller engagement dinners, kids’ birthdays “and we’re also creating bespoke events such as Cocktail Making workshops, pizza making workshops and cheese ... nights for smaller groups who want to do something different.”
Trist from Bull&Roo has been focusing on the pros. “Such as dining at home courtesy restaurants who no one would’ve thought would do delivery. Dinner parties at home catered by the world's best restaurants. This situation has made people get creative. There's still a market for high-end food - they just needed to work out how to make the experience comparable to dine in.”
The entertainment aspect
Hassan Ballout, Co-CEO of Seven Management, (Seven Sisters, Antika Bar etc.) doesn’t dispute this. “There is most certainly a different vibe, as given the restrictions in place guests can no longer interact as they did before, be it to dance, move around up to the stage or visit the DJ. We are finding that people are more inclined to dine and enjoy a show but from the comfort of their table with social distancing.”
Evgeny Kuzin, Chairman and Co-Founder of Bulldozer Group, (Scalini, Shanghai Me, Gaia, Cipriani etc.) said the restaurants he manages “have seen a real surge at the weekends, with an increase in guests booking in advance due to the permitted capacity and social distancing requirements."
"The changes to the nightlife landscape and lack of clubs have led to a considerable boost for restaurants and lounges, with many guests preferring a late booking throughout the weekend. Dining has become a new form of entertainment, a refined and relaxed way to go out and socialise within the guidelines.”
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What lies in the future?
Despite all the massive challenges ahead, restaurateurs overwhelmingly struck a positive tone. Dundulis from Lucky Voice is confident the restaurant will recover. “During these uncertain times many restaurants have shut their doors for good, which reduced dining options for customers. So the places who managed to survive the pandemic will definitely show better return in 2021,” he said.
Kukanjac from Larte said the industry will continue to innovate and digitalise as much as possible to limit contact. “Menus are now digitally available to our guests through a QR code. We’re looking at the possibility of putting in place a digitalised ordering system too.”
He also believes the industry is going to continue to be heavily deal/discount led. “This is both due to customers wanting more value for money as well as the increased competition around town. The current situation has been a wake-up call to a lot of restaurants to adapt a community-focused approach, working closely with the communities around them in order to increase loyalty and a base of regular guests.”
Loustaunau from Tulum agrees that despite all the challenges, the pandemic has provided eateries with opportunities. “I think it makes us more conscious that what we need to offer is a unique experience in every aspect from service to food to themes to ambience. Nowadays people need that extra something to make them feel special.”
Ballout of Seven Management, (Seven Sisters, Antika Bar etc.) sees procurement of locally sourced ingredients in the future, benefiting both the economy and environment. “Equally important will be the focus on the dining experience, with regards to the balance between food and entertainment. The real challenge will be to achieve this in a less physically interactive manner but thankfully technology knows no bounds.”
Zouein from Iris said the focus is to maintain a creative and agile approach, implementing new ways of reinvention such as restaurant dining as opposed to the ‘partying’ focus we once knew. “It is abundantly clear that people have a strong desire to continue living their lives, going out and having fun, but there is a slight element of caution in doing so. We hope that socialising will return to how it was before, hopefully becoming even better, and that digital forms of interaction will decrease.”
Chef Izu, Concept Creator of Gaia, Carine, and a number of brands under his group, YSeventy7, believes this is a temporary change. “We are social beings, we need to interact, to meet, hug, and spend time with each other. Dining together is a ritual. Sharing food, memories and experiences with loved ones is something we have enjoyed since the beginning of time, and I believe we will continue to do so long after Covid has left us.”
Kuzin from Bulldozer Group too believes that people will return to normal as soon as possible. “The hospitality industry may be more focused towards restaurant brands, rather than busy bars and super-clubs for the time being, as they are easier to manage and control. Health and safety will always be a priority for brands and venues, with the wellbeing of the people coming before all else.”
Trist from Bull&Roo said in the short to medium term, refining and perfecting the best practices for transmission protection will be top of mind. But he also thinks the situation will only change his industry for the better. “The first few months of COVID-19 were filled with editorials by famous chefs talking about how the industry will change forever. It looks like we will be living like this for some time but always the optimist.
"I know there are going to be lots of casualties and I can't say that doesn't break my heart but I think coming out of this pandemic will bring a new era for our industry, a rebirth. I predict once we get through this we will see more exciting restaurants, better concepts, everyone is going to be so grateful they can get back out there and do what they love to do. I really believe we will see some of the best years of the industry post COVID-19.”
Dubai resident Christina Maroudias sums it up accurately. “Arriving at the first restaurant I went to post-lockdown, I remember thinking it was amazing how well we have all adapted, and how much we took for granted. Before the pandemic, I didn’t value the luxury of simply popping out for a coffee or sharing an exquisite meal with friends. I realised my home cooking skills really are no match for the culinary offerings in this city. This pandemic has been terrifying for a myriad of reasons, but restaurants give us a visual representation and portrayal of the lengths people will go to, in order to keep each other safe.
“Before the pandemic, I don’t think I realised how important the hospitality industry is to our mental health, and our ability to connect. From the friendly welcome on arrival, kind waitstaff to the thrill of a get-together and catch up with friends and family, the little things mean so much.”
“Before the pandemic, I don’t think I realised how important the hospitality industry is to our mental health, and our ability to connect. From the friendly welcome on arrival, kind waitstaff to the thrill of a get-together and catch up with friends and family, the little things mean so much.”