TONY HABRE
Storytelling is fundamental
You have to be perfect at everything, from offering exceptional food and drinks to creating standout venues that are bursting with creativity and theatrics. You either make it or you fail — there is no grey zone. The pace is fast, and the consumer is fickle. Venues have their 15 minutes of fame and then die out. It’s our job to make sure this doesn’t happen by developing modern yet timeless destinations that captivate our guests. I think survival is the essence of creativity.
It’s important to invest in and retain the best talent. Social media is our way of connecting with guests and engaging with our communities of hyper-connected world travelers.
It’s all about creative content and storytelling. All of our venues have a strong social and digital presence, which we use to tell our brand’s stories. The experience transcends our guests’ visits. We keep the conversation going, and we do it creatively. Our social strategy is a reflection of each brand’s unique identity.
Adapt but do things your way
You need to have your finger on the pulse and know your customers. You have to be quick and ready to predict what’s coming next. Being among the key players in Dubai’s hospitality industry, our venues are at the forefront of innovation. In order to keep the competition on their toes, you have to continuously up your game to stay ahead of the curve.
Addmind is successful because we meet the needs of our clients, and we adapt according to the market. Striving to go above and beyond to “wow” our guests, in turn, prompts our competitors to innovate and vice versa, which creates a healthy, forward-thinking and thriving industry. Addmind is an “experience company,” in that we create memorable experiences — not just venues. Our clientele is international, and many of our brands have crossed borders, which puts Dubai on the map in terms of creating and cultivating world-class F&B and nightlife brands.
Over the past decade, Addmind has established some of Dubai’s most dynamic restaurants, lounges and clubs, including Iris, White, Clap and Sucre, to name a few. This is quite a feat in a city where the pace is fast, the consumer is unpredictable and venues come and go. Indeed, to have created brands that continue to thrive in difficult and highly competitive markets is one of our greatest achievements.
Future plans
After successfully launching the legendary Raspoutine in DIFC, we are opening two more eateries in Dubai this year: Babylon, an entirely new dinner and party concept, and Dani Garcia’s Leña restaurant, which is set to open on Palm Jumeirah. Elsewhere, we have Mostrador in the pipeline, which is a new venue in East London, and we are opening up new concepts in Saudi Arabia.
Names of venues owned and managed
• WHITE
• CAPRICE
• BAZAAR
• IRIS
• BAR DU PORT
• LA MEZCALERIA
• CLAP
• SUCRE
• YAMAS
• BABYLON
• RASPOUTINE
• ARIA
• IRIS BEACH
• WHITE BEACH
• SOL