DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is being lined up to become a top gastronomical destination with some of the world’s leading restaurants due to open in the country next year.
Hospitality group Cool Inc has been working to bring a number of culinary heavyweights to the Kingdom, including Paris’ famous Les Deux Magots cafe, trendy London-based Asian restaurant Sexy Fish, and the popular Wagyumafia eatery.
Olivier Flamant, chief executive officer of restaurants and members’ club with luxury and lifestyle curator Cool Inc, told Arab News: “At Cool Inc we have a clear purpose: To shape the future of what’s cool in Saudi Arabia.
“We’re in the business of enriching the Kingdom’s cultural, creative, and leisure lifestyle by inspiring and connecting the country’s innovators and visionaries.
“As curators of culture, creativity, and taste in restaurants, hotels, travel, and more, we are bringing reputed brands and creating bespoke brands with some of the world’s most celebrated tastemakers,” he said.
The company boasts a portfolio of more than 20 globally acclaimed Michelin-starred and street-style restaurants scheduled to debut in Saudi Arabia.
Also opening next year will be Joan’s on Third – a trendy Los Angeles-based specialty food marketplace and restaurant favored by celebrities and foodies alike – with its first international outlet.
“When Cool Inc looks at concepts, we look years into the future to understand how it can become a part of the greater Saudi fabric of society.
“This is very important to us, as the group is heavily invested across the hospitality spectrum and is extremely focused on laying a solid foundation on which the Kingdom’s future hospitality industry can be sustainably built,” Flamant added.
Through research and an in-depth understanding of Saudi tastes, Cool Inc aims to shape the future of dining in the Kingdom.
Flamant noted that Saudis had a “gastronomic intelligence” that demanded the best of the best from dining experiences.
He said: “For the next few years, we expect to see much more growth and investment in the food and beverage sector which will continue as the demand grows, and the country attracts more residents, businesspeople, and tourists from all over the world.”
Opening at Jeddah Yacht Club next year will be Emmy Squared, an American pizzeria known for its signature square-shaped Detroit-style pizzas. And Riyadh will play host to Michelin-star restaurant Gymkhana.
“We know why we think a brand or a concept would work, but our hunch alone cannot be considered as justification for the investment.
“After a lifetime in the industry, I look for brand equity, ease to market, location-based advantages and disadvantages, competition, messaging leverage, and trending characteristics, such as cultural cuisines, among many others,” Flamant added.
He said he was looking forward to seeing a range of restaurants opening in the Kingdom during 2023.
“I have built an emotional connection with all of them – I see the depth and uniqueness at the heart of each one.
“Through Cool Inc, it has also become my passion for bringing these famed and loved restaurants to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time,” he added.
