Big tent, tall building

Went to Emaar's Ramadan tent at Burj Dubai on Thursday night. An excellent extension of the 'Downtown Dubai' brand: modern, Arabic, stylish, quality food, cool music, and a cosmopolitan crowd. The idea is a bit of a risk for Emaar - the area is a building site, you have to drive through an underground car park to find it, directions are lousy, and there are other Ramadan-specialists - so full marks to them for giving it a go. And there wasn't any sales push. Models of the development were tucked away in the entrance, and tables were flyer-free. Now, if they could get a drinks licence, it might make for a great Eid party venue.

Awash with coffee

Just what Dubai needs, another coffee chain. This from yesterday's Kipp Report.

Coffee Republic, one of the UK’s original coffee shop brands, has signed a deal to open up to 30 outlets in the Gulf. The first will open in Muscat in November, Dubai and Bahrain will follow in the new year.
"We have very big plans,” says head of international business development Khurram Begg, “it is not the case we are just testing the ground, we are very certain.”
He’d better be. Coffee Republic will join Starbucks, Second Cup, Costa, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Caribou Coffee, Barista Coffee, Gloria Jeans – have I missed anyone? – in fighting over prime pitches. Mall owners and retail leasing agents must be rubbing their hands at the prospect of rent battles.

I don't recall if Coffee Republic is any good, but I do know the coffee shops I like aren't chains. U&Me next to the office does a good double shot small latte (not bucket-sized), as does I-can't remember-the-name-of-it in Sultan Business Center. Hard to see what Coffee Republic can bring that's new. The sector needs to move on from coffee - Geek Terminal, out of Singapore, might be a welcome addition.