UAE: first Middle Eastern Eataly franchise opens in Dubai

DUBAI - High-end food market chain Eataly on Monday inaugurated its Dubai emporium, the first in the Middle East for the renowned and successful exporter of Italian quality, atmosphere, and philosophy of eating and life. A cut to the red-white-and-green fresh pasta ribbon gave access to the 2,000-square-meter store inside Dubai Mall, with 2,000 products and five restaurants on offer. ''We have brought Dubai the Italy we most care about, a quality Italy that is not just about pasta and pizza but also that of sophisticated hand-crafted products and regional excellence,'' Eataly concept creator Oscar Farinetti told ANSAmed. After its flagship store in Turin in 2007, Eataly went on to open 20 more in Italy and abroad, including Chicago, New York and Tokyo, with Istanbul to follow in December. The Dubai market replicates the successful Eataly format, calibrating the choice of products and ingredients with a respect for Koranic precepts without compromising the distinctive Italian-ness of the concept. ''Eataly's challenges abroad include saying no to the cannibalization of production and keeping our cuisines solidly anchored in their identity'', explained CEO Luca Baffigo Filangieri. ''It is possible to export made-in-Italy haute gastronomy, just as it is possible to export made-in Italy couture'', he added. The outlook is positive for Eataly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where ''food and agriculture is a growth sector, just like Italian exports overall'', commented Italian Ambassador to the UAE Giorgio Starace. ''The entrepreneurial genius of Oscar Farinetti and of Eataly cannot but make a significant contribution to the consumption of these great products, in these markets'', he added. Eataly's Middle Eastern adventure was launched thanks to its partnership with the Beirut, Lebanon-based AZADEA Group, a retail holding company that operates a portfolio of more than 50 international franchise concepts, and which coordinated the company's entry into the Gulf area.

United Arab Emirates · 8 Dec 2013

Linked: Dubai Mall