Epicure Group Restaurant Management Company

Whether it is a hearty breakfast fare, innovative and unique pizzas, a contemporary youth oriented selection of mouth-watering bistro dishes, delicious modern Japanese “pub-style” food, or juicy flavorful steaks and grills; the Epicure Group is where it can be found. Browse through our unique selection of restaurants and check out the wide selection of menus that will delight and satisfy the most discerning pallet and taste. Inspired by cultures, flavors and textures that were touched upon through his studies abroad and his travels today, the richly diverse and deliciously unique menus developed by Chef Ahmed Al Bader offer a disciplined and balanced hand in preparation toward the basic ideals of gourmet cuisine and are bound to put a zing to your mouths and a smile to your stomachs.

7 Jan 2017

Top 10 restaurant developers in the Middle East

10 Ahmed Al Bader, co-Founder, Epicure Group Ahmed Khalid Al Bader is a young Kuwaiti who started life’s journey gaining a bachelor’s degree in BS Finance at Suffolk University. As director and co-founder of the Epicure Group he has strived to bring upscale casual dining concepts to transform Kuwait’s dining scene. His projects include: Izakaya, a Japanese Eatery; Butcher’s Den, a luxury Grill House; and Prime & Toast, a morning bistro revered for its sustainable ethos.

Kuwait · 21 May 2012

TKI wins Kuwait restaurants contract

Kuwait-based Sultan Group has roped in leading restaurant and hospitality consultants Thomas Klein International (TKI) to develop the interior concepts for its two upcoming restaurants in the country. Sultan Group said it is expanding its unique brand offering by opening a new Prime & Toast restaurant in Quibla area as well as new Wasabi outlet on the Kuwaiti Corniche. Prime & Toast is known for the quality of the produce used in their large selection of sandwiches, salads, soufflés, waffles and pancakes, and incorporates only the freshest ingredients and vegetables as well as the best prime USDA beef in their dishes. The Prime & Toast and Wasabi chain of restaurants is owned and managed by the Epicure Group, the food and beverage division of the Sultan Group. The newest Prime & Toast will be located in an existing restaurant location in Quibla and TKI will be re-designing the outlet to match the existing concept, said a senior official. “We have adapted the design slightly so that the vertical farming structure will be located directly adjacent to the window, allowing all the plants access to natural light,” explained Daniel During, principal and managing director of TKI. “The location of the vertical farming structure also means that the plants will act as a natural curtain to soften the incoming light into the restaurant,” During noted. “Furthermore, the additional core elements of the design such as the communal table and the blackboard ribbon around the restaurant will be respected and incorporated into the new design too,” he added. The new Prime & Toast in Quibla is expected to open in the second quarter of 2012. The Sultan Group said it will open a new Wasabi store on the Kuwaiti Corniche, in Point 5, which will offer diners uninterrupted sea views from its terraces.-TradeArabia News Service

Kuwait · 2 Jan 2012

Dubai-based TKI reveals all-black design for Kuwaiti restaurant

Dubai-based F&B consulting firm, Thomas Klein International (TKI), has revealed its concept design for the new Pintxos outlet in Kuwait. The all-black interior for the restaurant is the final design created by TKI and its Chicago architectural office, PS Studio. “The design is based around an all-black theme which creates a mysterious, cosy and enticing ambience,” said Daniel During, principal and managing director, TKI. The vibe of the restaurant is designed for socialising with informal seating and low lighting. An installation of over 2,000 felt cones, each with a fibre-optic light, will glow just above head level, creating a twilight effect. The fibre optics will be controlled from a central computer. “Interestingly the tables are actually individual pieces of hand-cut basalt, with free form felt ottomans for gathering around and sharing the dishes on offer,” said During. “Each table also weighs in excess of one tonne and are totally one of a kind,” he added. The bar is a solid piece of basalt, perforated with hundreds of small holes allowing light to shine through, creating a richly-textured focal point. The launch of Pinxtos, part of The Epicure Group, is planned for end of 2011 and will be located in the Quibla area of Kuwait City. This entry was posted in Thoughts and tagged Daniel During, Kuwait, Pintxos, the Epicure Group, Thomas Klein International, TKI. Bookmark the permalink.

Kuwait · 8 Dec 2011

The Sultan Group awards Wasabi restaurant to Thomas Klein International

Thomas Klein International (TKI), the Dubai-based restaurant and hospitality consultant, has been awarded the contract to develop the new image and positioning of the Wasabi chain of restaurants in Kuwait for the Sultan Group. TKI will create the interiors of the new outlet, to open later this year, which will be located in Wattiya – currently under renovation by the government of Kuwait. The total investment for the fit out is approximately US$2 million. “The Sultan Group already has four other Wasabi outlets as part of their portfolio, but they want to launch a totally new, fresh image, so the newest addition to the group of restaurants, will have a totally new look and feel,” said Daniel During, principal and managing director, TKI. “Once opened, the new Wasabi restaurant will set the benchmark in design for any additional Wasabi outlets they open, and all the existing Wasabi outlets will be transformed to match the new brand image and positioning.” TKI said it wants to deliver a unique, contemporary and thought-provoking design. “We don’t want to give too much away at this stage, but just to say that we have thoroughly studied the concept, researched the wasabi root, its cultivation and farming methods, and this, along with the two most traditional and sophisticated Japanese arts of paper manipulation, has served us as inspiration of what is to come,” added During. The Wasabi chain of restaurants is owned and managed by the Epicure Group, the food and beverage division of The Sultan group. Ahmed El Bader, founder and culinary director, Epicure, said it had been working with TKI for the past few years and the new Wasabi design will be unveiled soon. The new Wasabi will be housed in a stand-alone historical building, approximately 480m2 in size. The current building, an old traditional Kuwaiti house built with materials available in sea rock, mud, limestone and gypsum is a protected building and therefore a challenging environment as the original shape of the building nor any of the exterior facades can be touched.

Kuwait · 31 May 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

F&B Champion: Ahmed Al Bader

The Epicure Group only launched in November 2009, but over the past 12 months it has made a major impact on Kuwait’s dining scene. The company, which is the culinary division of The Sultan Group in Kuwait, was established by chef Ahmed Al Bader, who decided to go it alone having struggled to sign franchises in the region. “At the beginning of my career, I found it difficult to sort a suitable franchise for the Middle East, so I shifted my efforts after opening The Burger Hub [an outlet in Kuwait City Al Bader still runs] to personally develop all concepts in-house and established Epicure Group,” says Al Bader, director and co-founder of Epicure. The aim was to offer upscale casual dining concepts “that Kuwait lacks”, says Al Bader. The Group now owns, operates and is designing a variety of brands, including Eighty6 Bistro, Prime and Toast, Pizzetta and Butcher’s Den. A Google search of the outlets reveals rave reviews from diners in Kuwait, who seem genuinely impressed with the restaurants’ creative dishes and energetic ambience, something they claim to have not seen before in Kuwait. Indeed, with the F&B market being “increasingly cut throat as customers expect more bang for their buck”, Al Bader suggests “restaurant theatre” as a way of staying ahead of the game. “Diners don’t go to restaurants simply to eat, they want to be stimulated in some way and come away remembering the experience. No longer is it enough to serve good food and provide good service — interactive concepts and experiential dining are expected. Guests want to be more engaged in what’s called ‘theatre-style dining’ and have a better understanding of the work behind the preparation and cooking processes,” says Al Bader, who offers a chef’s table and a DJ box at Eighty6. “The younger generation looks for entertainment, which must be fresh and lively. Interesting demonstrations, performers, technology and most importantly, music, are all key in providing the overall experience and showmanship,” says Al Bader. Another aspect of Epicure’s refreshing approach is its focus on fresh ingredients, which also meets the demand of younger people. “As important as novelty, variety, treats and bargains in consumers’ food and beverage choices, are of course health and wellbeing considerations. The trend is most apparent in the younger age group, admitting to ‘eating many of my meals on the move’ and thus requiring emphasis on nutrition and health,” says Al Bader. “Unfortunately franchises have washed and altered people’s palates in Kuwait. A lot of work has to be done towards nutritional information and knowing their food. Younger people are diet conscious and want to limit access to unhealthy food to reduce obesity, thus looking for freshness and demanding fresh products,” he adds. As a result, Epicure is creating a vertical farming concept in partnership with Thomas Klein International, called Prime and Toast. “We want to be the region’s first vertical farming restaurant concept. The existing outlet has been successful and we want to ensure the concept stays relevant and fresh. We have completed two other design projects, and we definitely feel that they [TKI] are the right partners to work with,” says Al Bader. Keeping the improvements Al Bader feels the market so desperately needs in mind, the focus for Epicure for now remains on Kuwait, where the group has one fundamental goal: to localise a universal experience in dining. Al Bader sums it up: “The Bistro Eighty6 concept has enjoyed success due to its excellent quality bistro-style food with a contemporary blend of international cuisine, in a relaxed, warm environment with friendly, attentive service, which offers fresh and a wide palette of unique and innovative dishes. “Our objective is to strive to offer exceptional cuisine in a memorable atmosphere, while delivering exquisite dining value and creating a sensation of tastes and textures that are amalgamated with the modern day.”

Kuwait · 25 Dec 2010

BUTCHER’S DEN TO OPEN OUTLET IN KUWAIT

The chain of restaurants owned by the Epicure Group based in Kuwait, is set to open its flagship outlet in Kuwait later this year. The new facility is estimated to cost $ 1.5 million. Thomas Klein International will work with its associate office, PS Studio in Chicago, to design the interiors of the restaurant that will be built across two levels. The new outlet is designed to occupy 266 square meters of area and provide seating for 70. It will include a show kitchen, two private dining rooms, each encompassing a private in-room kitchen with a private chef. The restaurant premises will also include a special ageing room for the meat with full view into the dining area. Natural materials like leather, wood and natural stone will go into the interiors to impart it with a butcher’s block look representing the ‘lion meets butcher’ in its design. Thomas Klein International is an interiors design firm engaged in the conceptualizing and developing of designs for interiors, specially restaurants, kitchens and hotels. It has been associated with projects like Qanat Al Qasbah; Spazio restaurant at Prince Walid bin Talal’s Kingdom Tower; Dubai Industrial City Central Production Kitchen.

Kuwait · 12 Jul 2009