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Cloud kitchens may have been around for a while, but they’ve taken centre-plate during the Covid-19 pandemic, as eateries struggle to stand out in a competitive and quickly evolving foodscape, according to a top culinary consultant in the kingdom.
The kitchen of yesteryear usually serviced one brand or restaurant, but many different business models are emerging during the pandemic.
This includes restaurants launching multiple brands operating out of a single kitchen, start-ups ‘renting’ space in established kitchens and existing restaurant brands offering delivery out of white-label ministry-approved kitchens.
Ultimately, the business models are in response to quickly shifting consumer tastes.
“In the past, restaurants used to be a one-for-all, as in you would have multiple different cuisines under one roof, but today, customers look for specialisation,” Chef Faisal, 38, added.
“Now, when a client comes to me, I tell them to specialise – for example, a brand focusing on just beef burgers is more likely to succeed than a new restaurant trying to be a one-stop shop.”
This change in tastes comes as delivery has become the preferred method for dining out, and customers no longer feel limited by the choices of a single restaurant.
A group of five friends, for example, can order from up to five different specialised restaurants, based on what they are feeling like eating, instead of all ordering from the one place.
In response, established restaurants are also responding by creating multiple brands catering to different niches within their menu.
According to Chef Faisal who operates an eponymous consultancy that helps food brands stand out, some restaurants have created as many as 16 marques operating out of a central kitchen.
Other established brands are servicing multiple parts of the kingdom with delivery-only kitchens.
Meanwhile, start-ups are foregoing the hassle and expenses like rent and capital expenditures like equipment by utilising space in existing commercial kitchens during their off period.
“The key today is to have dishes that can easily be standardised – so simple but delicious is the key to success, but you also have to consider things like portability,” Chef Faisal explained, while treating the GulfWeekly team to a quick lunch at his ‘food lab’ in Saar.
“As more and more people order through Talabat, diners have changed their decision-making process. Instead of location, they look for the best restaurant serving their cuisine of choice, and in Bahrain especially, making a good first impression and maintaining consistency is key to success.”
Chef Faisal sees localised brands being better-suited for success instead of international ones, as they can adapt to local tastes.
While he does respect the roots of food, in particular Italian cuisine which was his first culinary love, he also appreciates the importance of adapting to a local cuisine.
“For example, Bahrainis love grills and in particular, enjoy the flavours of black lemon, while Saudis lean towards meat and rice, with a different spice mix, leaning towards cumin, coriander, cardamom and turmeric,” the Saudi chef, who is a member of the World Master Chefs Society, added.
Chef Faisal has worked with more than 50 brands in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. He has also created more than 7,000 recipes.
Most recently, he has been working with a burger concept in Bahrain which is set to open its doors in the next couple of months, and another in Riyadh, which has grown under his tutelage from one to more than 30 locations.
Follow @cheffaisalco on Instagram for details.
