Defining Hospitality

DH - Jensen Moonien
===

Speaker: [00:00:00] What I do is inconsequential. Why I do what I do is I get to shorten people's journeys every day. What I love about our hospitality industry is that it's our mission to make people feel cared for while on their journeys. Together we'll explore what hospitality means in the built environment, in business, and in our daily lives.

I'm Dan Ryan, and this is Defining Hospitality.

This podcast is sponsored by Berman Fall Hospitality Group, a design-driven furniture manufacturer who specializes in custom case goods and seating for hotel guest rooms.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Today's guest is skilled in all administrative f and b processes from budgeting and forecasting to strategy and development. He's worked for big name hospitality companies such as Four Seasons, St. Regis and Ritz Carlton. Additionally, he was the co-founder of an events company specializing in event planning and promotion, and he's recently founded La Ra. He also has won Youngest Leader Award for the Middle East in 2022, and he is [00:01:00] been nominated for many other awards in many different categories. Ladies and gentlemen, Jensen Moonien. Welcome, Jensen.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: How are you?

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: I am really good and I'm really excited because I think this is the first, not this you, you, Jensen are the first human, uh, that I've interviewed while sitting in Dubai, so welcome.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Thank you so much. Pleasure.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Um, the skyline looks spectacular there. I know it's, uh, late getting later on a Friday night. Um, so I, I appreciate sharing your experience, uh, with all of our listeners in the FMB space from where most of our listeners are in North America. But, um, we do have. A global reach, which is pretty amazing 'cause these podcasts just get everywhere. Um, but I'm really excited to hear about your experience internationally, uh, and kind of what you're seeing in Dubai and starting up a new company in Dubai. It's just sounds so exciting, but it's always been within [00:02:00] hospitality. So before we get into all of that, what does hospitality mean to you?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Um, I, I think I, it took me some time to get across it working for all those ultra luxury brand. I kind of, uh, alongside of personal things that came across to me, um, I think the definition of what hospitality to me is, would be the altruistic way of creating lasting memories. I think the altruistic.

Really when you're, um, doing something for the guests or anybody for that matter, it's that you do it without any kind of purpose. And I think as a guest or anyone you're interacting with feel it. So I think that's kind of wrapped that up. My definition of what I would think would be now hospitality in general.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: And before we get into your current mentality, um, you've come from like an amazing pedigree of companies and when you, when I just look at just Four Seasons, St. Regis and Ritz [00:03:00] Carlton, what do you think? Which one of those big. Companies or bigger companies that you've worked at really changed the way you think about it or perceive hospitality, or did you always have this feeling within you?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Um, I think it stem from the fact that I'm, so it's an where everybody. Uh, hospitality will live and, and, and very much in a commute like people, uh, it's kind of whenever you go to to rural areas, people are there to help you out. Um, and it's kind of, Mauritius is known for the hospitality. So I was always drawn towards this aspect of.

Of this industry because I think it's, it's very much driven by passion. Uh, but I think one of the brand that really marked me is definitely for seasons. Um, and I think it, I speak, uh, on behalf of all the people who work in ultra luxury properties and hotels across the globe. I think it's a brand, um, that I could really feel that they live up to their [00:04:00] values and whatever they mean.

I mean, their golden is treat others like you would like to be treated. I think it resonates from the moment you get the interview process, um, to, to, like they really care about their stuff and I think that's a pure reflection on how this stuff treats the client at the end of the day. So yeah, definitely the four season has been a big game changer in my career,

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Then growing up in Mauritius, how did you find your way to the Emirates?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: basically I did, um, which is a university that kind of have, um, its main school in France. Um, and I was supposed to be doing engineering initially. Um, and then I went for that school summer break, uh, basically before getting into university. Um, and I went into being, uh, a call center basically. And I.

I was very introverted at time and I [00:05:00] never knew where I was heading and.

Love for it. I was like, Hey, I'm not gonna do engineering. I'm gonna do something that really, uh, speaks to that side of me that I think was coming about and I really enjoyed it. So there, there was a friend of mine who went to, we went there, um, and then through the curriculum of, of you have to do internship.

Like any kind of hospitality studies that you have? There is a big component in internship. Um, and I was given the first opportunity my second year to go to St Regis so it was kind of the school that was introducing the candidates to, um, to the different recruiters and different people. And I went to St Regis at the island.

I was. I think for me it was a very beautiful experience. Um, it was something that I've always envisaged. Coming from a small island, uh, central distance island is one of the most beautiful property you would find. Uh, I think across the globe, I've, I've had the opportunity to, to work for the [00:06:00] best hotels in the world.

Um, but it's one of the most amazing, amazing, uh, resort that is there in Abu Dhabi.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: From your experience in going to all these fantastic resorts, what do you, what makes that the ultimate hotel or resort experience in your mind, from your experience?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Um, I think, I think it's big on, on the stand point of view that, um, on a bias kind of point of view, it's something that I really like is, uh, history attached to a venue or a place, and I think St Regis as a brand in itself has lot of story about, um, how they created the afternoon tea. They brought the afternoon tea from.

UK and make it So the mother of Asto family was the one that, her name is Cal Line Asto. So she's the one who brought the often tradition from the UK to America. And she would have what you would call the 300 selected, where she would have the 300 Pohi woman, uh, of Manhattan in New York and come and have a [00:07:00] tea.

So she was the one, a bit kind of. Created that environment. So getting back to why I think initially I love Century Justice that they have a lot of history attached to it. Um, John Asto was the one that founded the company, um, and he was believed to one of the wealthiest person at the time. Um, and he, he was in the Titanic.

So in every century, just across the world, you will have Acase in his memory. Representing Titanic and the, so there's.

It's, it's, it's an immersive palace. So when you walk in, in itself, you feel that sense of grandiose and, uh, every little details cater for it. They have one of the most amazing beach in front of it. Um, and the clients that you have there, there's a big component of residences next to it. So a lot of people who are very wealthy would come and have an afternoon tea.

They have a [00:08:00] beautiful bar called the Manhattan Lunch, uh, where you will have people come and have cigar. Uh, and it's very refined, very elegant in that sense. I think usually in Dubai and Uri in general speaks a lot about grandeur in a very different aspect. And that was something that mixed culture and together with a brand heritage of what century were present, um, and kind of at the same time in a very beautiful way kind of represent the country itself.

Uh, because the Centri study that has a lot of comment, em coming in, uh, so they would kind of merge. Those brand with that aspect of their culture.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: So I just learned something and I've been in a, in a handful of St. Regis's before. Most

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yeah.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: in New York, just going to that one often they have great, a great bar there. Um, many fond memories, but I didn't realize that there was a Titanic connection. I was just in Belfast last week or the week before where the Titanic was built, I didn't know that the Asters [00:09:00] were on the Titanic and that that was the reason for the staircases in all of them. I should know this. I should know this being in Desi, like furnishing all these hotels and knowing these narratives. But I think what strikes me the most about what you just shared, and these actually, if I really peel back the onion on this one, more often than not the the most incredible hotel experience, hotel experiences, it's not necessarily hospitality experience, but the hotel

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Mm-hmm.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Are where everyone knows that level of narrative and story about.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Mm-hmm.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Property and that you can share that and that. how did you learn, like how did they drill that into you so that you, so that you knew that did that, was it a part of on onboarding? Obviously it's very important, but I just, I'm able to suspend all disbelief and just believe whatever anyone is telling me.

Like if it's a really good sommelier, I will taste the hint of apricot and chocolate finish, even if it's there or not. 'cause I just. I believe, but how did they, how did they get you to tell those [00:10:00] stories and know those stories so well? As a, as a young person who probably just didn't even know any better at that point.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So, so I think I, I was lucky enough, I mean, I work in two different St Regis. So before going to the St Regis in Abu Dhabi, I was in the St Regis Mauritius, uh, which is for me a very beautiful property in Mauritius. It's basically, um, you have a Unes or Heritage mountain, uh, just behind it. Um, and you have a kite surfing spot in Mauritius, so it's one of the most beautiful beaches, and you have the centri that was there.

So it's a very, very beautiful property. So I went there and. Initially, even before doing the onboarding, because I remember clearly at the time they, they, they wanted to have a certain amount of people come in, uh, before they could do a batch for onboarding. So I would walk into the resort and see, uh, chandeliers.

I would see it's a resort on island. I see an elevator next to a staircase where. Everything is on a flat surface. It's not built up on, on [00:11:00] that. I was asking myself those question, um, and I remembered asking lots of questions about it. I was like, Hey, why there is a staircase, why there is an elevator? And there was like, the elevator and the staircase, um, is kind of the core of what St Regis is all about.

They have different key components that, that they make sure are there. And yeah, we went through the Embroid and I kind of, I was kind of sell this. Luxury and, and, and, and storytelling. And I loved it. Um, and, and there is many more stories to it, like, um, Nan Pieto was believed. So across all the CES in the world, for instance, in the onboarding, we got to learn about it, is that, um, the bloody Mary that we know today was, um, they wanted to, Toto was one of the, the founding of St Regis, in New York.

This, but kind of make it a bit more. Elegant to the Porsche Cloud [00:12:00] crowd. Um, and he kind of renamed it to, uh, so it was called Red Snapper and he kind of didn't have that allure to people, so he was like, I'm gonna change it to Bloody Mary and kind of play along with it and tell a story with it. So in across every century, just in the world, the signature drink, is a Bloody Mary, which is not kind of something you would usually go for.

I would recommend anyone who goes to a St Regis go to the war and tell them You like to order St Regis and they will tell you a story about it. And usually what they would do across all the St Regis in the world, they would add an ingredient to it. So for example, the St Regis in Mauritius, they have aloe vera, which is something very common.

Um, in certain, uh, areas of the region or they would use local rum. Uh, in century they use, um, Zatar, which is a very common spice here in in the Middle East, to kind of give a little bit of touch of that blending Mary that was created by Cenon Pieto. So yeah. Um, I think the onboarding process, and I think.

An eagerness and a kind of passion that was there [00:13:00] for hospitality initially for me, kind of wrapped around this whole journey of, of me understanding all those story and I kind of went online and read about it. Um, it's the same like the world of Astoria has a beautiful story.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Wow. I just learned about the bloody Mary too. I feel like I should know these things and I don't, so, wow. Thank you. Um. I wanna go. So how old were you when you moved to Dubai?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Um, I think I moved to the Middle East early in my 2020. I was 21, I believe. If I'm not mistaken. I moved to Abu Dhabi first, but it's,

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: To go

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: yes, it was in the s Yeah.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: okay. So growing up in. What, what countries have you lived in? So you grew up in Mauritius and then you moved to, you went to university where?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yes, in Mauritius itself. Uh, but it's accredited by France. So yeah,

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: That's okay. And then, uh, where did you move from there?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So Abu [00:14:00] Dhabi. So I went to Abu Dhabi first, and then I came back to Mauritius to continue my studies and then went back to Abu Dhabi for a short period of time. Uh, and then I got a job in Dubai. I came to Dubai, so it was Middle East mostly.

I've worked mostly in Middle East and Mauritius.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: So the reason why I'm asking this is I envision as an entrepreneur, um. I've never been to Mauritius, but I don't know. But I would assume it is more difficult to start up a business in Mauritius than it is in Dubai. Is that safe to say?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yeah, I think, I think in all fairness to it, I think it's anywhere across the globe. Um, like I, it's a melting pot of cultures and people who are here. I've met investors, I've met entrepreneurs who are from the uk, from the us, and different parts of the world. I think there is a big component of [00:15:00] in how long can you open a business.

It can happen within a week, like if you had the right document and everything in place. It just happens so quickly and all the system is built in such a way that it pros for entrepreneurship in a general, in a spectrum of things. Think everybody is kind of. Sold that dream of coming to Dubai, of, of having the platform to create things.

And it's true. Uh, it, it, it's, it is beautiful. I think in Mauritius you have still, um, you still have taxes. You still have lots of different components that you still have to get to, to the community. You still have to, there's so many political things involved into it at the same time. Um, whereas here it's like.

You have free zone company, you have LLCs, you have a million different ways of making it happen. And I think one of the biggest reason why people move to the Middle East is because of the safety component of it. There is a massive, um, kind of. [00:16:00] Around it because the, the government is putting a lot of effort into it and you can really feel it.

I think partners that I have, people that I know is that you could walk on the street in middle of the night, uh, you could leave your wallet. I have left mostly my wallet in taxis before, and it's just like easier to do business, you know, um,

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: such a rigid, sometime you would have this earlier that, okay.

Um, it's kind of too straight for me, but No, but when you come here, you're like. I wouldn't bargain that for anything else because I feel more safe because there is so many component that's kind of buying me in some way. So yeah, I think, I think it's definitely spot for anyone who.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Uh, so you, you're onto your second company now. La Re My French pronunciation is horrible. So say it the correct way for everyone, please. La Re um, tell us what you do.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So basically, um, I had a very varied [00:17:00] experience, uh, within UAE. So I kind of, um, was dealing with nightclubs with high-end venues. Uh, we were bringing international DJs. I. Hosting these big parties, uh, overly overlooking submission star restaurants. Uh, I had beach club experience, so it was kind of varied in terms of what expertise I had.

Um, and I kind of understood the market very well in that sense. So there is different component of what we do. We, we help and assess people of opening their. restaurant. So there's lot of investors that come to Dubai wanting to open the restaurant, um, and not particularly understanding the framework. So what usually happen is that you have international brand that works everywhere else, and they believe that the market in Dubai is the same, but once you come here, it's a completely different ballgame.

Um, it's a whole business in itself on how a restaurant operate. So you would have what they call PRS promoters and, um, and the right. Production companies, the right [00:18:00] clubs that you would associate yourself with. So I kind of tied it up. I said, I built up my network and I have a very good connection with lots of people within the industry that does all of this.

And I was kind of helping the restaurant that I was working for and that's when I was like, Hey, I have all the components and I've opened a company before, so let me just make that happen. And that kind of mushroom, what we do is. A consultancy, which is the conventional one, which is basically you have a restaurant, you're struggling, uh, in terms of your footfall, in terms of your revenue.

So we would come there and kind of assess what is going on, how we can change it, um, get your retention and get all those things line up. And then. On a different side, what we do also, we help investors do the concept development from a two as an assistant throughout. Um, I think what there is a big need currently, which is where most of our leads are coming from, is that there is [00:19:00] over 30,000 outlets within ua and there is continuously.

Restaurants opening and you have over 250 of them that are closing within a month. And I was kind of shocked hearing those figures because I was like, Hey, there's an influx of people and I think it's not an oversaturation of having too many restaurants, is not knowing how to run them. So what will happen, you have a lot of pre-opening phases, which.

Doesn't go the right way. So if you don't nail it on the right way in the first time, this is where the issue lies. So if you don't associate yourself with the right people, if you don't create a concept that will work within Dubai, it doesn't work. So what we do, we assist them with what we call an interim gm.

Someone that would be there acting as a GM in the pre-opening phase and making sure everything is right from the get go. Um, and, and that is something that we do.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: And do you feel that that that pre-opening phase to make sure that they open when they open the doors, it is the right, it is. You're on the best, most [00:20:00] solid footing. Is that your favorite part of the challenge of opening a business or opening a restaurant?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: I think honestly it's the most difficult one. It's, it's hands down. I think there is, um, people who don't really get like me. Also before doing a pre-opening, I was like, why is it valued so much with people having pre-opening experience? And uh, but the first pre-opening that I did was. Two month stretch of hours, putting in the work, working with the designers, um, having, and especially if the restaurant is connected with a hotel, the hierarchy to get things approved and to get things rolling out is, is very difficult.

difficult.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Jensen, the reason why I'm asking is in my experience just doing so many hotel renovations, obviously there's always a general manager at every hotel if it's a renovation or a new build. If you were to talk to a hundred general managers of hotels, I would say 85 to 90 of those hundred [00:21:00] hate the renovation cycle. Right, they're basically having to, it's very disruptive. It's a pre-opening all over again, pretty much. there's those 10 that love it and thrive in it. And when you, when we first spoke, I was very surprised that like, this is your superpower. Uh, but you said something earlier that you, I didn't know when we first spoke that you started off as an engineer, right? You started studying

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So basically my, yeah, my, my studies were, I mean, in high school I did engineering and physics and, and that was what I was meant to go to. I.

Speaker 2: Hey, everybody. We've been doing this podcast for over three years now, and one of the themes that consistently comes up is sustainability, and I'm just really proud to announce that our sponsor, Berman Fall Hospitality Group is the first within our hospitality industry to switch to sustainable and recyclable packaging, eliminating the use of styrofoam.

Please check out their impact page [00:22:00] in the show notes for more info.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Now that makes so much more sense to me because you're like the puzzle master trying to figure out all this stuff and as well as, as much as you have a plan of what a new business, new um. A new restaurant could be from just the people to the contractors, to the chefs, to the kitchen equipment, to the lighting, to everything that goes into opening that hotel, or I'm sorry, the restaurant.

Most restaurateurs or restaurant managers, they like managing the restaurant when it's open. They don't like that original, the the, the pre-opening part. And I think that that's a really interesting. Niche because it's also so critically important to make sure that it gets off on the right foot. And to hear that 250 restaurants are going out of business every month in Dubai is crazy to me as well there, but it's also a lot of churn.

So you always have, there's so much competition to [00:23:00] come up with the

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yeah.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: the gr latest and the greatest, um, has that idea of the puzzle master or figuring out or how to build that perfect mouse trap has that. Been a theme throughout your entire life.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: I think, I think I love creating. And I think, I mean, getting back to this 250, I think the component is not, there is not enough people. I think it's just not creating the right concept. Um, and that is, I think, the foundation of creating the groundwork. Like what I really enjoy in, in, in creating a concept is kind of building an identity around it.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Hmm.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Luckily enough, the first restaurant, um, that was built on the pond, uh, was a beach club that I help assist with. I was part with, I mean the, the team had, we already had consultant and people coming in and, and exploring the ideas. But I love the fact that we were part of the storytelling, um, understanding it was a me, it is a me restaurant, but [00:24:00] it was like.

Picking the right flowers for the garden. We had a small garden area. And telling a story how it's related to what we are doing. Uh, we had dream catchers in the back and, and that's part of the storytelling, designing the uniform and getting in there. It's part of today when I'm walking back there with, uh, whether it's a guest where someone I'm like.

Hey, you know the story behind this is that, the story behind this is that, funny enough, there is a wind sail in in that beach club on the palm. Um, it's kind of a design element that kind of mimics the waves when there's a wind that chimes through it.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Okay.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: And that was something that was. Similar in Greece.

So I had to went online, understand how those wave pattern work through, and then speak with the, with the people that were making those, um, those textile fabrics and tell them, Hey, we wanna mimic that. You know? So I think, I think it's been part of that creating aspect that I love, um, but also seeing it.

[00:25:00] Work and function and having, you were there when there was nothing on the groundwork and you had the investors were there, the people, the, the, the, the head office and people who were like, Hey, it might not work. It might not work. And you put in the effort with the team, um, and then a few down the line, you have 300 people partying and having the time of their life in that rest.

And I think I love that aspect of building something.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Hmm.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Um, it's more of a.

Getting there. I think that's entrepreneurship in itself, and I think that's where I, I learned that I wanted to be an.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: I've been to Dubai many times over my career. Well, maybe not that a, a handful. Um, to me it's also has a very similar, even though there's no, I don't think there's gambling yet, right? There's no gambling in Dubai,

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Start very, so you have a massive, you have the wind that's coming to,

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Okay.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So there's a big development.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: [00:26:00] Well my point, my point was it just seem it, even without gambling, and even if it's coming, it just seems from the ho on the hotel side of things, just very almost Las Vegas, like in the sense that I. much capital flows in and they want to create these dream-like experiences and completely over the top, um, experiences.

And I would assume that much in the same way we're Las Vegas. One interesting thing about Las Vegas, and I don't know much about FMB I like eating at good restaurants, is that a lot of really great restaurants that have a good story and a really proven track record, if they have one location, if they're really popular in a city, they may. Go and try doing it in Las Vegas at at a larger scale. And that requires a lot of institutional knowledge, especially, well, what made that one restaurant special and how to keep that specialness it scales to like maybe four or five to

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Mm.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: times the size of whatever the little [00:27:00] restaurant was in whatever city. Um, I would assume that that's similar in Dubai, but maybe more globally. Restaurants that are successful globally. They may want to put a footprint in Dubai, it's very difficult to navigate. So walk us through like a dream scenario of a, of a really successful small hotel that wants to dip their toe in Dubai.

Like what, how does that process work for you as far as finding that restaurant or if they find you, and then how do you help them along that lifecycle to have success? Once the doors open in Dubai?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So, so I think you touched a few, very interesting point here. It's just that I think people have this idea that a concept that has work in Central Bay or New York, or because of the name that it has built. Yes, it has a way to it, but I think what happened is that you have so many brands, so. High profile or [00:28:00] like, you name it, you have the nobus of this world.

You have, uh, the hackathons, you have everything here in the Dubai. Um, and that is a market that is, you name it, you have all the brands here, all the Michelin stop, Michelin star restaurants and everything that is, that you can imagine from the biggest nightclubs to going to the forced casual restaurants to everything basically.

So the main component of it, understanding. Your framework if it resonates with a clientele of the, what happen is usually for ex, for instance, is that you will have lot of free star, uh, chef who come to Dubai and want to open their restaurant, but it's kind of, if you don't have a component of party in it or a component of.

Festivity to it or something within that ground, it's kind of die off because you kind of, it's hard for you to build a retention on those kind of, um, concept in the way unless you built it in such a right way. So there is a big concept that [00:29:00] is happening at the moment, which is dinner that merge into a party.

So they are called dinner shows, uh, basically in Dubai. Uh, and you have restaurants that have been doing it for quite some time in Dubai where you have a proper seating for dinner and then it gradually turn into a party. You have places like Bagatelle that do it very well, uh, that has been established in a long time.

You have Zuma that is turning ta So it's, it's, it's understanding this because people today, the nightlife, like Pew clubs are kind of. Some of them are working, but most of the people are going to those kind of party where you have a one shop for everything. So you would come, have dinner, experience a beautiful kind of synergies between wine pairing and all those things, and then it'll turn into a party.

So that's. Um, what I would identify if their consent, if the concept resonates with the clientele, because you have to understand the target market and the placement where it is placed. So you have strategic places like the A FC, that works very well. [00:30:00] Um, you have different location, but then again, it's what type of brand and how it works out.

You still have brands today in the. On the problem within that doesn't function. So understanding those is very important and if it's opening on its own or within a hotel. So there's, I think it's a very complex kind of feel in itself. It's, you have so many factors that you have to account for.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: And then, if you take one of those concepts that work well internationally, but might not work in Dubai, but they approach you and they say, Hey, um, we're, we'd love to. Engage with you to help us take this concept there. What are some of the biggest surprises that you can help help them reduce from like a risk management perspective so that you know. They don't have to kind of reinvent the wheel and lose time and, and money. Um, but just how do you help a, a, [00:31:00] I don't know if you have a specific story of someone, but like how do

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yeah.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: them on the right foot for success? What's your, what's your process? I.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So, so basically, um, let's say it's a concept that I think would be difficult for the market. I would understand, uh, whether they should opening within a hotel, um, because then in a hotel what would happen is that if you get the help of the brand and people are coming in and out of it, so meaning you have a recurrence of people from internationally traveling.

So it's not about building retention, it's about making sure you hit the first impression, right? Because every week you'll have a different client because the people who are staying at the hotel is very transitive. Now, if you're a hotel that wants to, doesn't have a lot of key room and depends a lot on the footfall from outside, the concept should align so that you can build a retention.

And that is where I try to understand this. But then again, uh, I'm affiliated with what they call [00:32:00] PRS and promoters here in Dubai. So they are concierge company, they are VIP services. Uh, they are personal concierge of people who are kind of regrouped and they would advise clients where to go and dine and where to go and party at the, at the same time.

So I'm kind of of.

Understanding the concept. I think would be hard to get implemented within Dubai is the concept and placing them at the right spot. So, um, if I feel like it's a concept that will build mostly on client that are coming in and out, I'll open it in a hotel. If I feel, if it's something that can build retention, people would go there and party and have coming every week, that would be something different.

So understanding a plethora thing, because you have to understand something at the end of the day, is that, uh, the FMP business is very tough.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Yeah.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Uh, the ROI usually take two to five years. [00:33:00] Um, you have aggregator costs, uh, that can span to like 30 to 38%. You have lots of variables in there. Um, that you have to account for.

And then you have to take into consideration too, that there is a summer period here in Dubai, uh, that people kind of fly away. Um, especially if you want a beach cup, then you have to have seasonal staffing, um, and, and kind of work around all of this. So with also seasonal staffing, we are working with certain people that, um, that flying to Central Pay during the time and then they come back here and usually they bring celebrities and people along with them.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: I know as you're looking out there into the world for people who want to come and, and do this in Dubai, what, who would be like a dream client of yours to help to Dubai and help them or set them up for success in Dubai?

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: I think there is like, there, there is basically, um, in Dubai there is very, I. [00:34:00] A very, uh, developed concept. I would say. There is groups like RCA Hospitality, sunset Hospitality, were well established here in Dubai. So rather than bringing a brand that is international, I think is. Creating a brand with people like us or people like them would be the most ideal scenario because the concept that might work there might not work here and with us and, and these type of established companies, um, you will have a more of a security than anything else.

Uh, again, you can, because then again, because you have issues of. Uh, having exclusivity deal with certain dj. For example, uh, one of the most revenue generating venues here in Dubai are the one that has Beach Club, that bring in international DJs. So it's a bit like, uh, the Scorpius in in Konos and those kind of brands that kind of would come to Dubai and would work, but at the same time.

You have certain brand who already have exclusivity with certain high profile DJs, [00:35:00] so that kind of creates a disparity between them.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Hmm.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: So understanding all of this, and I think having a brand that is created locally who understand the clientele locally, even if you're bringing an international brand. It's something that we resonate with the client here.

Bag Attel, uh, has been working well. They're evolving now. You have Gaia, uh, by Builders Air Group. You have a few venues that understood what the market needs, um, and they kind of building alongside of it, even concept that are. Not born homegrown in Dubai and not brought over here in Dubai. They kind of adapt with the concept.

So like I was studying, Zuma now is turning into that very vibrant kind of party afterwards. Uh, lot of restaurant, if not most of them today, is like they have a restaurant and then in nightclub attached to it, uh, or within the restaurant. They lay it out in such a way that it.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: bag of hell is really [00:36:00] cool. I, um, I didn't, I knew it was always just this kind of brunch spot in New York City. I think that was the first one. And. My kids, I, I think it was all of them. They had their, um, communion, a Catholic first holy communion or something. And then we went out for family brunch with a couple other ones.

And I think a friend of ours knew the founder of it, and I just knew it as this brunch place. So I remember we all got our own tables there of early on a Sunday, and then we started eating. The food was amazing. And then like at. 10 30 or 11, like I think drapes came down and the music went up and sparklers came out and people started dancing up on their, up on the tables of up, and my kids were dancing and our friend's kids were dancing up on the furniture.

I was like, wow, that was totally unexpected and completely amazing. It's a really, a really fond memory of that, so I'm glad that they're doing well there, but I, I wasn't expecting it. That was a great surprise.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: [00:37:00] Uh, I mean, they, they had the, the kind of their period of, I mean, they, they, they were the one who initiated it, but then they had their period because the place needed a revamping at the moment, but now they're picking up again. But I would say in that dinner show kind of spectrum, in sphere, you have places like billionaire, uh, theater in Dubai.

So they are like proper initials. Uh, you would have a full on. Kind of thing. Uh, like it would, it, it's beautiful. Like, it, it's really impressive. Uh, but again, that incurred a lot of cost into it because to sustain something of that extent, it's like every day you have to pay singers. You have to pay a full show.

And, and, and usually the type of waiter and waiting stuff that you have are, are, are very well trained and they know how to upsell a bottle and, and make it happen

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Hmm.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Will have to be high. So you need to kind of have these high profile people, um, and put what they would call an average fence on the table. So yeah, it's a [00:38:00] tough market. Um, but if you, you understand it and you have the right players in, in the picture, you can definitely make a.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: and now that you're, um, on startup number two. What's exciting you most about what you're seeing out there right now? I, I would imagine in the scope of where we are and like capital flows, I would imagine a lot of capital that might be normally flowing to the United States as a safe haven is like, Ooh, we should hold off there for a little bit and go somewhere else.

I imagine like the, uh, fire hose of money is now starting to spread out into a lot of different countries, and Dubai must be on the receiving end of that. So what are you seeing? Um, from that perspective.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Uh, I think, I think there is a, a big influx of money in to Dubai at the moment, and especially with Russell Kaa, uh, with the opening there, uh, things, they, they had so many real estate on off plan and it gets [00:39:00] sold within minutes and hours of them opening. Uh, and it's just insane. Uh, you have the second palm that he is opening to, which is called Palm.

Uh, that's gonna happen too. And then you have. The expo area, which is expanding to, uh, you have a new area that has just been opened for restaurant. It's called J one. Uh, it's those very, very high profile restaurant, beach club that open next to each other. So you have GG Ciran, um, Kima, and a few others along the line.

They are very, very high profile, high end restaurant. So there is a big need, I think, especially in. The amount of investment with the CA Casino and the hype, especially within the Middle East, uh, when you think about it, um, they've kind of evolved, uh, gradually, um, with alcohol and, and, and allowing different things.

But now Ca Casino is such a big thing for, um, for that part of the world, and they're like. Heavily, heavily investing into, [00:40:00] because the amount of they're projecting, and I've, I've got to meet some of the owners that are gonna open there and some of the brands that's gonna, it's gonna be insane. Um, the level of the investment into it is insane.

Um, and the footfall that they're expecting, but also at the same time within the Emirates itself, you have different Emirates that are trying to. Bring a different kind of synergy. So Dubai is known for this extravagance and Abu Dhabi is more cultural. So you will have a lot of restaurants that are opening there who are based on, on stories, on, on very valued things.

Um, and, and Russell Kama is gonna be really the party place at the moment. Um, but Abu Dhabi has the roof now they're gonna open. Like museums and stuff alongside of it. So, um, it, it really depends what you resonate more and what.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: And it is amazing, like if you go back, I don't know when, 30, 30, probably 30 plus years ago, to think about, um, Sheikh Mohammed and his vision for [00:41:00] what Dubai could become and how com, this is where like these like would they be called like unrelenting visionaries, right? Where they have this idea, I bet you. So many people were like, no, I can't be done. Never be done. And then you, you fast forward to today and look at what D Dubai has become by his strength of vision. It's, uh, it's really unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. And, and I, and he's, he's older now. I don't know much about him, but he's much older now.

But I still feel that he's super active and vigorous of like at still making all of these things happen and change.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: I think it's. Relentless mindset of, I, I think he, he was on an interview in BB, C about like 20 years ago, and he was asked the fact, like, why you wanna make happen so far? He was like, yeah, I want to do it for the community. I want to do it for my people. Why do I have to wait so long? You know?

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Yeah. And,

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: It, it's really, um

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: it's not just, but it's also just if you're the visionary, but also finding all those [00:42:00] other vintage visionaries and bringing them in and setting them up for success and failure. But like, it's al

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: mm-hmm.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: The failure, you know, and it's, um.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Yeah.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Because each iteration you keep growing and getting better and better and better.

And, um, know, it's really exciting. Um, Jensen I know it's getting light there. I just wanna say, um, I thank you for all of this. If people wanted to learn more about you or how to get in touch or learn more, what's the best way for them to do that at.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Uh, they can reach out to me on, on, on LinkedIn. Uh, so my name is Jensen Moonien and they can find it there. And, um, the website and everything is, is linked through there.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: Okay. And we'll be sure to keep all of that in the show notes as well. But I just wanna say thank you for, uh, sharing your experience and vision, um, with all of our listeners and watchers. And if you're watching or if you're just listening, I would go onto the YouTube to the early parts of this and just check out the skyline behind him.

It's pretty magnificent if you've never [00:43:00] been to Dubai. Um, but thank you Jensen. I appreciate your time.

squadcaster-e552_1_04-25-2025_181729: Thank you so much. Thank you.

dan-ryan_60_04-25-2025_101729: And thank you to all of our listeners, because without you, we wouldn't be here talking to incredible entrepreneurs out in Dubai and hearing their stories and all around the world. Um, so thank you if this changed your mind on hospitality or if you know someone who's maybe considering opening a restaurant in Dubai, them with Jensen and pass it to them. So, uh, thank you very much and we'll catch you next time.