Fady Chams is the managing director at Prospect Design International. Here, he discusses the future of hospitality design and the importance of localised, brand-driven spaces in the industry.
In the ever-evolving hospitality design arena, adapting to changing trends and consumer demands is imperative for success in the incredibly competitive industry.
As we head into 2024, Fady Chams, managing director of Prospect Design, a firm behind projects such as Brass Monkey and CÉ LA VI, shares his insights into the future of hospitality design.
“Designers have to be the little yellow guy on Google Maps. They must imagine the space, put themselves in it, and walk around to create the best approach,” says Chams.
In 2023, conversations revolved a lot around AI, dinnertainment, and sustainability. So, what will 2024 have in store? Chams hopes dining venues in the Middle East will embrace going back to the roots.
He says: “Car journeys that used to take 20 minutes now take up to an hour in Dubai. Particularly around the golden areas like Downtown, DIFC, and Marina. There’s a great opportunity to open small venues in residential neighbourhoods, such as the Meadows or Springs. Intimate, small spaces, that go back to go to the roots – like in Europe, where people walk past, see a great vibe, and form relationships with the owner. We need more of that in the Middle East. While there’s a certain risk factor, I believe this could become very successful, especially with how crowded Dubai is getting now.”
Within these spaces, the approach to design has never been so important, according to the MD, who says its not easy to create a venue that looks busy from the outside, with the right amount of light, or spacing between furniture.
Prospect Design prides itself on not only designing successful spaces, but successful businesses. It’s this approach Chams believes is the true path to success.
He explains: “Our parents used to go out for dinner to simply eat. Now, people desire more. It’s a social status. How they’re treated, the service, the food quality, to where they’re seen eating and what they’re ordering, it all matters to today’s consumer. And there’s no room for error. Brands like Nammos and Zuma don’t happen by mistake.”
Chams says that’s why a strong brand identity is so important.
“If we rewind to when we first started Prospect Design, most F&B in Dubai was led by a hotel designer,” he says. “In 2008, the financial crisis hit, and these establishments started approaching individual operators. Since then, Dubai has evolved into a mature market, now expanding home-grown brands internationally. Saudi Arabia will soon follow in Dubai’s footsteps. They’re importing high-end F&B brands at the moment. But it’s not sustainable long-term.”
While branding is not under the direct remit of the designer, Chams emphasises that it is the designer’s responsibility to ensure a narrative is woven through a space. Thus, they must, at the very least, ensure the client has this in place before commencing a project.
“Designers might say ‘well, why would I bother?’ but branding directly influences success and quality. The success is the most important factor, the last thing we want is for our clients not to have ROI.”