Pre-opening consulting

Pre-opening is not operations with a deadline attached. It is a construction handover, a recruitment campaign, a supply chain build, a systems configuration and a training programme, all running at once, all dependent on each other, against a date that has already been announced.

Most openings that go badly do not fail on the night. They fail eight weeks earlier, when a dependency slipped and nobody was tracking what it blocked.

What I do

The critical path. Every task, its owner, its dependencies, and the date it must be finished by to avoid moving the opening. This is the spine of the engagement, and it is built first.

Recruitment and training. Structure, hiring sequence, and the training programme that has to be complete before the first guest, not after.

Menu and cost structure. Menu architecture, recipe standards, costing to a target margin, allergen documentation, and the supplier base to deliver it consistently.

Systems and procurement. POS configuration, procurement workbooks and supplier selection — set up correctly before opening rather than corrected during trading.

Standard operating procedures. Written for the team who will use them, not for a binder.

Operational readiness. Trial services, snagging, and an honest assessment of whether the date is achievable — delivered early enough to act on.

Who this is for

Owners and operators opening a restaurant, bar or hotel food and beverage operation in the UAE or the wider GCC. It suits first-time openings, where the risk is not knowing what is missing, and experienced operators opening in an unfamiliar market, where the risk is assuming it works the same way.

The experience behind it

Three pre-openings, three regions: Roberto’s Muscat in Oman, as General Manager through launch and the first year; Cove Manila at Okada Manila in the Philippines, a USD 120 million venue; and Oktagona Beach Club in Italy. Plus four years running one fine-dining brand across Dubai, Amman and Muscat — which is where the difference between opening a venue and opening it in a new market becomes concrete. The full background.

Common questions

When should a pre-opening consultant be engaged?

Ideally four to six months before the target opening. Earlier is better for concept and menu work. Engagements starting inside eight weeks are possible but narrow — at that point the work is triage and readiness assessment rather than building the critical path.

How are engagements structured?

Fixed scope against a defined deliverable set, agreed before starting, with phased payments tied to milestones. The scope drives the fee: number of outlets, length of runway, whether the concept exists already, and how much is delivered on site.

Is the work done on site or remotely?

Both. Documentation, costing, menu engineering and systems configuration are done remotely. Recruitment, training, trial services and the final readiness period need presence. The split is agreed in the scope.

What does a pre-opening engagement deliver?

A critical path with owners and dates, recipe and costing documentation, allergen matrix, SOPs, POS configuration, procurement workbook, training programme, and a readiness assessment ahead of opening. Exact deliverables are scoped per project.

Which markets?

UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait as standard. International briefs considered.