Trade press · Lifestyle media · Launch events · Chef PR
Restaurant PR
in Dubai.
The relationships, the angles, and the timing to earn press coverage that compounds your Instagram and ad spend. Measured in column inches and covers, not in released and ignored press releases.
What we actually do
Six F&B PR plays that land.
Trade press placements
Caterer ME, Hotelier ME, Gulf Business, Arabian Business. Specific angles per publication (openings, concept launches, chef moves, growth stories, industry commentary).
Lifestyle media features
Time Out Dubai, What's On, The National, Khaleej Times, Esquire ME, Vogue Arabia. Angles pitched to the specific writer, not blast-sent to the desk.
Launch events
Soft-launch dinners for 25-45 industry + lifestyle media + food creators. Properly briefed, properly fed, properly followed up.
Chef thought-leadership columns
Placing the chef or owner as a credible voice in trade pubs with monthly or quarterly columns. Positions the brand as part of the Dubai F&B conversation, not just a restaurant in it.
Awards submissions and judging-season management
Caterer Awards, Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards, World Restaurant Awards nominations. The submission process is specific, deadline-driven, and rewards consistent presence.
Crisis and reputation management
Negative review response, media crisis handling, review-bombing situations. We staff these at CEO-level, not junior-executive.
Common questions
Questions, answered
Yes, but not in the way it was done 10 years ago. Mass press releases to 500 contacts produce nothing. What works now: targeted relationships with 8-15 specific trade and lifestyle writers who actually cover F&B, well-timed story angles (new opening, chef hire, menu drop, awards submission), and chef thought-leadership columns. Done right, PR compounds Instagram and ads instead of competing with them.
Trade: Caterer Middle East, Hotelier Middle East, HotelNewsME, Arabian Business, Gulf Business. Lifestyle: Time Out Dubai, What's On, The National (biz + culture sections), Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Esquire ME, Vogue Arabia for lifestyle-restaurant angles. Food-specific: FACT Magazine, Food Ellas, dedicated food blogger accounts with trade credibility. Each has specific angles that work and don't.
Standalone PR retainer: AED 10,000-25,000 per month depending on scope and target list size. Launch programmes: AED 20,000-80,000 for a 90-day push covering soft-launch dinner, press release waves, media hosting, and chef interview placement. We embed PR inside full F&B marketing retainers at scope-appropriate levels rather than selling it as a standalone silo for most clients.
For a solid new concept properly executed: 3-6 trade features in the first 60 days (Caterer, Hotelier, Arabian Business), 2-4 lifestyle features in month 2-4 (Time Out, What's On, The National), 1 chef interview placement, and 10-20 influencer-tier food creator posts coordinated as paid partnerships. More than that = either exceptional story or paid placement. Less than that = weak execution.
Yes, but we warn clients that mass press release distribution is low-ROI. We write press releases for the few specific publications where the angle fits, and tailor the pitch per writer rather than blast-sending the same text to 500 contacts. The hit rate on targeted pitches runs 20-40%, the hit rate on mass distribution runs 1-3%.
For restaurant owners
