Courtesy: Claudia De Brito | News Source: hoteliermiddleeast.com

Andaz Dubai The Palm GM Kifah Bin Hussein spoke to Hotelier Middle East about what to expect from the property’s F&B offering when it opens in December saying: “Food and beverage was our biggest exercise because the business is evolving very quickly. It was very much based on trends rather than the experience.

According to Hussein, a lot of time and effort was spent on identifying what was missing in the market: “The trend at one point was to get a Michelin star chef and brands from across the globe and just open. Now this trend has faded and I can give you examples of well-known Michelin chefs who opened and closed within less than six months. Other people who have no idea how an F&B operation should be run, have invested in the look of the place and the design but they didn’t really capture what people are really looking for.

“People are looking for experiences. They want to try something completely different. At the same time, they don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on their experience. We did a very good study of the market to understand what the needs were. Understanding the nature of The Palm, we know that the people who live here hardly leave The Palm to dine. And it’s the same thing for the people who live on the mainland. They see The Palm as a leisure destination where they come on weekends so our focus is on our local community.”

The properties five F&B outlets include: The Locale, an all-day dining neighbourhood eatery located on the ground floor; Hanami, an Asian restaurant on the 15th floor offering an edgy take on traditional Japanese Izakaya; The Andaz Lounge, an anti-office open 24 hours a day for guests and residents with a fully stocked bar serving cocktails and coffee; Knox, an underground urban bar where entry requires guests to give two 'KnoX' at the door and La Coco Beach Club where guests can order light bites.

With the aim of reducing food miles, the hotel is working closely with Greenheart Organic Farm to source its vegetables and is also growing fresh greens onsite with a US-based company called Green Container Advanced Farming (GCAF).

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