Dubai: In a dinescape flush with fancy destinations, it’s not easy to cut through the clutter. Yet two Emirati entrepreneurs have done just that, their innovative SALT, a street food venture, taking the UAE by storm.
The brainchild of Deem Al Bassam and Amal Al Marri, SALT was launched in May this year. Ever since, the pop-up restaurant usually sighted on Dubai’s Kite Surf Beach, Jumeirah, has attracted thousands of visitors, including royals, who line up at the vintage Airstream trailer to grab a bite of its fast-selling sliders and shakes.
Being positioned as a simple alternative to food courts and fine-dining restaurants, SALT’s street food is all about going back to basics. The simplicity begins with the name itself. “We wanted a name that everyone can relate to. SALT can be interpreted in two ways: a flavourful ingredient we all share and an enriching element that adds significant value to our lives. We took the time to observe what matters most to our community and created an environment that gathers people around hearty comfort food, in exciting and unexpected locations inspired by their preferred lifestyles,” said Amal.
To understand what would work best for UAE residents, Deem and Amal launched a #findsalt campaign on Instagram and distributed 200 SALT shakers among the public. They were asked to take a picture of the ‘salt of life’. “It was the simple things they cared about like going to the beach, reading books, strolling through parks, cycling and spending time with their families etc. Through the locations and activities our ‘salters’ chose, we understood that what they enjoyed most was a simpler lifestyle,” explained Amal.
Sliders and shakes
She said SALT has attracted large crowds because it is a food pop-up that appears and disappears. People are drawn to it not only because of the theatrics of street food preparation but also the spontaneity of the experience.
As for the food, the menu has something for everyone - from the original X2 SALT to the fastest-moving spicy X2 HOOK. “We have sliders for those that prefer chicken over beef as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. Our new menu has sliders for our little salters as well as delectable milkshakes.”
Amal said the idea was to include popular items that were small in size, fast to prepare and easy to eat. “We use fresh locally sourced ingredients and prepare everything on site. We chose sliders rather than burgers as they offer more versatility by allowing diners to mix and match their choices. Sliders are served in pairs to encourage salters to share their meals.”
Amal said the vehicle is a vintage Airstream that can be converted to almost anything, but it meets all health and safety requirements. Depending on the occasion, there could be one or two Airstreams at a location, one will comprise a kitchen where the sliders and fries are cooked and the second to serve beverages, prepare milkshakes and function as storage.
