How communities are becoming launch pads for small businesses

For a small restaurant, the customer who comes back every Friday can be as valuable as the crowd that passes its doors. That was why when Haider Al Assam and Luma Maklouf decided to give their delivery-only burger business a location, a high-traffic mall didn’t feature on their list.

“We weren’t after the busiest mall; instead we were looking for a place to build genuine relationships with customers and be part of their everyday lives,” says Al Assam, who launched Good Burger in 2020, with his wife, Luma.

For them, opening Good Burger’s first outlet earlier this year at DAMAC Mall in DAMAC Hills was all about getting closer to the people ordering their food and finding a place in their daily routines.

Across Dubai’s residential communities, entrepreneurs like Al Assam and Luma are recognising the business potential of everyday needs. From dinner close to home, to leisure activities and fitness sessions, opportunities lie in understanding what residents want and giving them a reason to return.

For these businesses, an established community offers something passing footfall alone cannot guarantee: the prospect of customers returning, bringing along friends and neighbours.

Developers such as DAMAC Properties, which has handed over more than 50,000 homes over two decades in Dubai, have created communities where independent and innovative operators can build a business and grow their market.

When an activity becomes a meeting place

There are many such businesses that are integral to community life in Dubai. At The Hobbies Club, horse-riding lessons give families a reason to spend time outdoors and neighbours a place to meet.

Founder Aref Ali Al Abbar explains his business has always been community-focused since its inception 30 years ago, connecting people, animals and sport. DAMAC Hills’ open spaces and residents’ interest in family activities, well-being and nature provided a perfect fit for his business.

Families arriving for trial lessons become regular members. Parents report that riding helps children develop confidence and responsibility, while giving the family time together away from screens, says Al Abbar.

Friendships formed around lessons and workshops have continued beyond the stables. That social connection has helped the club grow.

Word of mouth has been his business’ biggest driver.

Building such loyalty takes time. Having operated within the community for nearly nine years, Al Abbar recalls the effort required from both the business and the developer during its early days. An established address provides access to residents; earning their trust remains the operator’s job.

A customer base beyond the doorstep

As families bring established routines such as school-day meals and weekend outings to a community, businesses get an opportunity to carve out a place in those routines from the outset.

Lily Hoa Nguyen, Founder of Vietnamese Foodies, recognised that opportunity when expanding the restaurant she launched in 2018.

An advantage of family-focused communities, Nguyen believes, is that their residents usually prioritise high-quality dining options. In 2023, she opened her DAMAC Hills branch, which is now one of eight locations across Dubai.

“In our vibrant community, it’s heartwarming to see familiar faces – families after school, neighbours grabbing dinner, and friends enjoying pho together on weekends,” she says. “Our team has fostered meaningful connections with our guests. The best part is that they passionately recommend us to their neighbours. In this close-knit community, word of mouth shines as our greatest endorsement.”

Developers are also keen to support such entrepreneurial activities, which develop their communities into thriving neighbourhoods with self-sustaining ecosystems.

“We received excellent support from the management of DAMAC Mall for our operations, including design and fit-out coordination, as well as social media and community marketing,” says Nguyen. “The entire process was hassle-free and met international standards.”

For an expanding home-grown brand, such support is invaluable, where they get to connect directly with their audience as they set up their businesses.

From neighbours to teammates

A similar connection is taking shape through fitness at The Training Room at DAMAC Hills 2. Established in Al Quoz in 2020, The Training Room expanded into the community in a rented facility in April 2024.

“The community embraced us right from the start,” says Co-founder Keith O’Malley-Farrell.

Its run club has since tackled the neighbourhood’s seven-kilometre loop almost every weekend, with participants continuing through the summer. Alongside regular training, the facility coaches people towards goals ranging from a first 10km race to climbing Kilimanjaro and reaching Everest Base Camp.

A facility close to home can make that first session easier to attend. Familiar faces give people another reason to return. For the operator, participation builds relationships that extend beyond a single class or membership.

But it's not just F&B operators, service providers, or fitness centres that thrive in communities. Nikki Alli, Founder and Managing Director of Mercore Advisory, finds working out of her home in Centaury cluster at DAMAC Hills 2 extremely rewarding.

“Many people believe that an advisory business needs to be located in a prominent business district to be regarded seriously,” she explains. “However, in my experience, clients are not interested in a postcode; they value good judgment. That judgment can be delivered effectively from a quiet study just as well as from a high-rise office in the city.”

In the morning, Alli handles work in the Gulf and in the evening the focus is on London and Lagos. “I’m not wasting hours on a commute, and the money that would have gone towards an office is now being invested back into the business," she says.

She meets her prospective clients for breakfast, lunch, or coffee at the Community Center. For formal meetings, a hotel nearby works well.  

A deal closed in a home office, a repeat order of a burger, or a riding lesson booked each week, all these give small enterprises something valuable to build on. And ultimately, they become part of the community instead of just businesses operating within it.

In association with DAMAC Properties