It’s a brave new world in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The country presents tremendous opportunities for expansion, thanks to the strong commercial market and the penchant for new development. As a mostly untapped market for international F&B brands, all of the restaurateurs that Caterer Middle East spoke to for this feature agree on one thing: Now is the time to be in KSA.
More and more international names have been confirming their launches in the country, with the likes of Gaia, Billionaire, and Il Baretto finding a home in Riyadh, as well as casual concepts such as BB Social Dining, Brunch & Cake, Pickl, High Joint and many more. Some have already opened, while the rest are preparing to inaugurate their presence in the Kingdom either at the end of this year or in 2022.
There is no denying that the Saudi population loves to dine out. Studies show that the food and beverage industry in Saudi Arabia is the largest in the Middle East and is valued at US$45 billion. The Saudi F&B industry accounted for 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2018 according to the report, which also highlights the importance of the industry to the overall economy. It’s a number that will have clearly grown since that report, too.
The Vision 2030 programme has seen USD64 billion invested in leisure, entertainment, and culture in Saudi Arabia in order to boost tourism and encourage spending in the local economy, while cultural changes such as the presence of women in the workplace have also supported F&B spending over the past few years.
With new destination announcements being made, whether that is Diriyah Gate bringing in 18 famous F&B brands (four of which have Michelin stars in their flagship restaurants) or Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District opening its first high-end dining destination, Saudi Arabia is regularly making headlines when it comes to F&B.
Fine dining sets sights on Saudi
Looking at how high-end brands will adapt their restaurants to the Saudi Arabian market, Caterer spoke to Flavio Briatore of Billionaire, Evgeny Kuzin of Bulldozer Group, and Jason Atherton about his latest venture, Maraya Social, in AlUla.
Billionaire Riyadh was one of the first international high-end restaurants to open its doors in Saudi Arabia in January 2021. But before launching in the Kingdom, the Billionaire concept was conceived in nightlife destinations like Porto Cervo, Monaco and Dubai. There it caters to late-night diners and fuses an all-night entertainment experience with Italian-Asian cuisine. However, when the brand launched in Riyadh’s Sulaimaniya District, Billionaire focused heavily on its Saudi F&B offering Unlike the Dubai branch, Riyadh is also open during the day and offers a lunch menu and a more discreet environment to dine in.
Now, after three months of operations, the next phase is underway. Billionaire’s founder Briatore, explained: “We are excited, about introducing our entertainment program at Billionaire Riyadh at the start of December. We have adapted our choreography, shows and costumes in great respect for the Saudi culture and legislation, ensuring the utmost compliance with the Saudi authorities while still delivering an exciting experience into a city which is a new and vibrant culinary metropolis.” Billionaire plans to keep things fresh by working constantly to evolve and change the shows.
The key, according to Briatore is understanding the audience and orchestrating the evening accordingly.
Keeping the essence the same
Gaia is also gearing up for a great 2022, with three new outlets opening next year, Riyadh is one of them.
Kuzin, the CEO of Bulldozer Group said to Caterer: “It is really is amazing to be expanding to Saudi Arabia. We are set to open Gaia in Riyadh, which will have an incredible potential for growth and will allow us to become a core component of the tourism infrastructure in the country.”
It is important for Kouzin, however, to maintain Gaia’s ‘essence in every outlet around the world. Just like in Dubai, each section of the restaurant will represent a different part of Greece, from the Bougainvillea laced terraces influenced by the Cyclades Islands to the souvenir shop reminiscent of the streets of Athens.
The dishes on offer will remain the same in every part of the world, in order to maintain the trust of guests. Izu Ani, the concept creator and chef added to what Kuzin said: “As we grow and expand internationally, our aim is to ensure the brand remains as authentic as it was when we first opened so that we can share our energy and integrity with the world.”
Capturing the Saudi spirit while offering something new
Across the country, even Saudi’s more remote territories are growing their Saudi F&B scene. Jason Atherton’s new restaurant, Maraya Social, is in the middle of AlUla.
Maraya Social will serve international dishes, mixing British, Mediterranean and Arabian flavours, but he’s keen to point out he isn’t trying to replicate the local cuisine.
He said: “You’re not coming to Maraya Social to get mezze with local bread or spiced rice. They’ve been cooking it for thousands of years here, I don’t think I am going to improve that.”
Atherton is also using local ingredients where possible and has plans to open a chicken farm and grow his own vegetables for the restaurant.
Atherton is now spending more time in Saudi and loving it. Once Maraya Social is running smoothly, he’ll be returning to AlUla every couple of months.
He added: “Everyone is so welcoming, they want to show us their traditions and culture. When I speak to people in Saudi, they are so friendly and proud to be Saudis. There is this new Saudi spirit and it’s exciting to be at the beginning. I’m happy for the people of Saudi Arabia that they get to show off their country to the world.”
Premium-casual dining on the rise
Hidden in between the high-end dining and the casual dining category, premium-casual dining has emerged as a fast-growing subset that has high potential in Saudi Arabia. Restaurants like BB Social Dining, Mohalla and Brunch & Cake aim to fill this niche in the Saudi F&B landscape.
These restaurants will appeal to Saudi consumers who are somewhat value-conscious by offering a distinctive dining experience at a lower cost than fine dining, the operators told us.
Amjad Barakat of Brunch & Cake said: “We are going to build our biggest global standalone venue in Riyadh. It is the perfect market to launch a massive space in. We are planning a Riyadh Brunch & Cake on a 10,000 sq ft area in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarters.
Before that, we are opening a 4,000 sq f venue in Diriyah Gate Saudi’s latest F&B giga project.”
After spending years working with the Saudi F&B market, Barakat is very familiar with how to position it. He said: “In my career, I have already helped build over 25 brands in Saudi. An important thing I learned is that there is a lot of room for scalability in Saudi Arabia. Our strategic plan for Brunch & Cake Saudi Arabia is to open exactly six outlets. Not more or less. We will ensure they are big in size and we will put them in very strategic locations.
“Our biggest one will be located at the Diplomatic Quarters.”
Barakat also spoke to Caterer about filling the gap of premium casual dining. Barakat said: “I think there is still a very big gap in the market for premium casual dining, so we felt that we could fill this niche perfectly with Brunch & Cake. I am certain the concept will do well there. In fact, 30 percent of our guests in the UAE are from Saudi Arabia. So, many of them already know the brand.”
