Pickles

Kuwait to get first gastro burger restaurant

The Epicure Group, the food and beverage arm of The Sultan Group, has announced plans to open Kuwait’s first gastro burger restaurant in a bid to make it stand out in a saturated market. The firm has teamed up with Thomas Klein International (TKI), Dubai-based restaurant consultant, and Chicago-based architect PS Studio to create the interior design plans for the restaurant, which will open in Al Bidaa in December 2011. “Our role was to create a recognisable interior that will elevate the concept of a burger outlet to cutting-edge sophistication,” explained Daniel During, principal and managing director of TKI. The interior design concept for the restaurant, the name of which will be revealed soon, is derived from the layering of the food - the hamburger, its bun, and the vegetables and sauces in between. Plywood, constructed of different layers of wood laminated together, was chosen as the main material in the interior design of this establishment to signify the various layers of the burger. “We found that plywood is the ideal material to convey the concept and to bring the idea to life, as the layered wood palette allows for variety through colour and texture and can be processed beautifully,” said During. “Eating burgers should be an enjoyable experience, and therefore we decided that all the outlet’s finishes should be fun – with bright orange rubber floors, white and lemongrass walls, and highly visible graphics. The colourful logo will also be featured on the show kitchen wall to further strengthen the branding.”

Kuwait · 11 Oct 2011

New Kuwait contract for TKI

Dubai-based hotel and restaurant consultant, Thomas Klein International (TKI), has been awarded with a contract to develop two new restaurants in Kuwait for the Sultan Group. This is the fourth time that the two companies will work together. The two separate outlets will be based in Al Bidaa in Kuwait, and will be located adjacent to each other in a venue formerly occupied by Tumbleweed. The Sultan Group decided to expand its existing food and beverage offering by opening a third Pizzetta as well as a brand new restaurant concept called Pickles, in the earmarked location. Both casual dining restaurants are owned and managed by the Epicure Group, the food and beverage division of The Sultan Group. “Pizzetta is famous for serving the only grilled pizzas in the region, and although the new outlet’s design will be based on the existing concept to ensure continuity, we will be adapting the new restaurant concept by adding a few unique twists,” explained Daniel During, managing partner, TKI. “The second restaurant will be a ‘gastro burger joint’ serving burgers and sliders, and the concept revolves around the array of home-made pickles and radishes served as traditional condiments, hence the name Pickles. TKI will be responsible for developing the Pickles brand, to complement the fresh and modern logo, as well as the design of the restaurant.” Ahmed Al Bader, director and co-founder of the Epicure Group, said: “There is already an established burger culture in Kuwait, and that is why we want to introduce Pickles to the existing food and beverage offering.” “Currently there are many well-known burger brands, with approximately 200 different burger joints available in Kuwait, but we will be offering diners something very different by focusing on the freshness of the ingredients we use.”

Kuwait · 8 Mar 2011