Restrocast

Duncan Muir is a Senior Director - F&B and Retail at Bateel International, a luxury gourmet dates and confectionery brand based in the United Arab Emirates. With over 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Muir comes with a wealth of knowledge and expertise of growing some of the finest homegrown hospitality brands across Dubai such as Carluccio’s, Mango Tree, Ushna & Chi’Zen throughout the GCC region.   

At Bateel, Muir leads the retail division, overseeing the operations of the brand’s retail stores and the expansion of Bateel's retail presence worldwide. Prior to Bateel, Muir held various leadership roles at premium sporting clubs and properties in the UAE such as Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Loch Lochmond Golf Club, and Dubai Golf Club, where he oversaw the development and management of these premium facilities and hosted renowned sporting events like Barclays Scottish Open, and Abu Dhabi Golf Championships. 

Muir holds a key position on the advisory board of the United Arab Emirates Restaurant Group (UAERG), a premier representative body of the F&B industry in the UAE dedicated to promoting and strengthening the sector in the region. As an advisory board member, Duncan has been instrumental in gathering and voicing some of the key concerns of the hospitality industry before all stakeholders including landlords, aggregators, regulators, and government decision-makers. 

As a hospitality professional, he has closely seen the expansion of the F&B industry in the UAE through the early 2000s till today. A strong proponent for customer-centricity and compassion, his journey in the hospitality world is a testament of his core values, great leadership skills, and business acumen. There’s much to learn from him. 

Here’s what you’ll get to learn in this conversation with Duncan Muir,

• Duncan’s early days in the hospitality industry, his choice to work in the Dubai F&B industry, and the changes he has seen over time.  
• His leadership experience and lessons learned while managing some of the premium restaurants. 
• The importance of keeping customers first in the restaurant business, and strategies for achieving this. 
• Methods used by Bateel International to collect customer feedback and increase customer loyalty. 
• The role of food delivery platforms in restaurant growth and ways to effectively partner with them. 
• Duncan’s perspective on what restaurants and food aggregators can do to improve driver safety.  

If you prefer reading over listening, we have published the transcription of the podcast here! Go on and scroll away.  

Find us online: 

Ashish Tulsian - LinkedIn
Duncan Muir - LinkedIn 

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Tapan Vaidya, CEO of Papa Johns (UAE, KSA, and Jordan), stops by Restrocast for a conversation with host Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO of Restroworks, about his 35+ year career scaling multi-location quick-service and casual dining brands including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Fuddruckers, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Chili's, and Outback Steakhouse.

Investing his own money into the business, Tapan led the rollout of US pizza giant Papa Johns in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including the UAE. The first Papa Johns opened in the UAE in 2005, and the company now has more than 62 branches across the country with an aggressive plan to have 100 outlets by 2024. 

With the keen interest to pay-it forward to the industry, Tapan regularly shares his insights and creative solutions dug deep from his experience. He is appointed on the advisory board of the UAE Restaurants Group and is often found tackling some of the most pressing industry issues at the knowledge panels and talks. 

Like many students, he took on work at a restaurant to earn some extra cash but the allure of this fast-paced industry was such that he never left. His journey is inspiring and has been full of transformation at every juncture. 

CHAPTERS
0:04 Intro
2:23 Honey trap/Journey till now
11:09 Evolution and growth potential of the Saudi market
12:12 Shift from business management to Taj to UAE
18:22 Knowing arabic
19:35 What led Tapan to invest personally into Papa Johns
23:16 How Papa Johns sailed through the pandemic unscathed
27:13 How investing personal money shaped Tapan's leadership style
33:33 Why empathy/second chance is crucial to leadership
39:16 How to challenge oneself consistently
53:58 Thoughts on the relationship between restauranteurs and aggregators
56:31 Thoughts on the outlook for UAERG
Here's what you'll get to learn in this conversation with Tapan Vaidya,

- Tapan's journey of getting into the hospitality industry, the early experiences that led him to fall in love with his work. 
- Why he invested his own money into launching Papa Johns in the GCC. 
- His experience of sailing through the pandemic and how empathy helped him brave the COVID waves. 
- His idea of leadership in thought and practice and why he likes to meet each of his employees personally. 
- How to collaborate with food aggregators. 

If you prefer reading over listening, we have published the transcription of the podcast here! Go on and scroll away.

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On Restrocast, Ashish Tulsian (Co-founder and CEO, Restroworks) is joined by George Kunnappally, Managing Director of Nando's UAE, where he leads the popular multi-location fast-casual chain known for its flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken across 20+ outlets. He has also been voted #3 on the Caterer Middle Power List for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.

Despite his many achievements, his unassuming personality shines through in this conversation when he attributes serendipity to his success and, in his modest ways, says he doesn't have any special talent or skills. Here's what you'll get to learn in this podcast:

George's journey of getting into the hospitality industry, the early obstacles, rejections, and with them, some invaluable learnings. The importance of championing women employees in hospitality and giving them a true level playing field and the culture at Nando's. An owner's mindset while being an employee helps in better decision-making and leadership.  Thoughts on delivery aggregators and why restaurant operators can't ignore them.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction 
02:15 Serendipity
11:05 Chance Playing a Key Role in Early Success
19:27 Work-Life Balance
23:16 Having An Entrepreneurial Mindset
35:14 Self-Awareness and Career Decisions
48:38 The Importance Of Having Fixers and Closers On The Team
53:09 Being A Committed Feminist
56:29 Nando's As a Liberal and Equal Opportunity Employer
1:02:46 A Book That Left a Lasting Impression
1:11:05 Delivery Aggregators - A Boon or a Bane


Find us on: 

🎧 Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rVBznwiXPUhMQ8ddJN7Ni 
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fiery-restaurant-trailblazer-george-kunnappally/id1649388502?i=1000586538072 
🎧  Amazon Music:  https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0a73fe9e-112f-4ad3-ac57-44ae7a8d46e5/episodes/64bd45c8-e7f3-46c6-9c7a-f3723121d105/restrocast-the-fiery-restaurant-trailblazer---george-kunnappally 

Stay connected with Restrocast: 

📲 Ashish Tulsian's Twitter: https://twitter.com/atulsian
🧳 Ashish Tulsian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtul.

📲 Twitter : https://twitter.com/restroworks
📷  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/restroworks
🧳  LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/restroworks/

#Restrocast #Podcast

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Naim Maadad, Chief Executive and Founder of Gates Hospitality, joins Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO of Restroworks, on Restrocast to share how he built a multi-brand hospitality group in the UAE with award-winning concepts like Bistro Des Arts, Reform Social & Grill, and the Michelin-recognized Folly by Nick & Scott. With almost 30 years in hospitality across Australia, Asia, and the Middle East, Naim provides insights into how the restaurant industry has evolved, how to thrive, and why building relationships is central to the business.

CHAPTERS 
 
00:00 Introduction
01:35 The Beginning
05:00 The Big Change
10:00 Taking Inspiration From Japanese Work Ethics
18:06 Getting International Exposure and Preparing For It
29:25 Making Calculated Career Moves
49:28 How To Find The Right Talent To Work With
53:14 Starting Gates of Hospitality And Shaping It
58:17 The Michelin Experience
1:12:53 Starting DRG And Its Evolution Into UAERG

Find us on: 

🎧 Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ns1fOqk2vNGwKMQzlb3NE?si=9091f5afb36b4c8b
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restrocast/id1649388502
🎧  Amazon Music:  https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0a73fe9e-112f-4ad3-ac57-44ae7a8d46e5/restrocast

Stay connected with Restrocast: 

📲 Ashish Tulsian's Twitter: https://twitter.com/atulsian
🧳 Ashish Tulsian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishtul.

📲 Twitter : https://twitter.com/restroworks
📷  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/restroworks
🧳  LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/restroworks/

#Restrocast #Podcast #NaimMaadad #AshishTulsian #DRG #UAERG #Dubai #GatesHospitality

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Support the show