FACT Chats: Tom Arnel, Bull&Roo Hospitality

The Guild, Bull&Roo’s exciting new venture will be launching later this year inside ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC. We catch up with Tom Arnel to discuss the new venture and his thoughts on Dubai’s food and beverage scene.

What can diners expect from The Guild when it opens later this year?

The Guild will be a dining experience like no other with world firsts! The Guild was conceptualised through careful research of the global dining scene, with the team travelling around the world, discovering new and exciting food trends. The buzzing day-to-night collective will take Dubai’s curiosity and adventure to new heights, through an all-encompassing, giant and intoxicating dining room. The Guild will be the epitome of a cool, creative dining destination.

This is an exciting prospect for Dubai and a chance to bring something entirely new to the city. How do you feel about bearing such a large project’s responsibility and what do you think will determine its success?

Bull&Roo is no stranger to bringing a first to Dubai, TOM&SERG was a first for Dubai and we are continuing our mission to be the most exciting hospitality company in the region. We’re so excited for what’s to come, the project has been researched and put together with precision and the best creative minds in the industry both in Dubai and internationally. The Guild has been inspired by the city we live in and with this we are harnessing our passion for electric dining and the success of The Guild will be determined by how people feel when they dine there. They should feel the adrenaline rush we’ve felt whilst conceptualising as we have put so much passion and skill into this project. 

Can you tell us about any of the concepts? 

The concepts will be food focused experiences that are quality driven. 

How important was it for you that The Guild be a licensed premise?

With the location being in DIFC, the size and the overall concept idea, we needed The Guild to be a licensed venue. 

How will you ensure food quality and traceability for this particular project?

By hiring the absolute best chefs and food suppliers in the region to ensure quality control. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the food and beverage landscape in Dubai. Do you think the industry is beginning to bounce back?

Yes, I think that slowly we are getting back on track. The new restrictions in place were necessary and some businesses will struggle from it, equally as the vaccines are being rolled out and the UAE is doing everything it can to fight the cause, the F&B industry will get back on its feet.  

What do you believe restaurants have to do to stay relevant and ensure success during these unprecedented times for the industry?

Consumer intelligence and constant research are important to stay relevant. Consumers worldwide are become savvier about trends, so we need to be constantly be keeping our menus modern and being ahead of the times. 

What have you learned about the industry since the opening of Tom&Serg?

Opening a restaurant is hard. It takes passion, blood, sweat and tears to create something totally unique and successful. Each product that Bull&Roo produces takes a huge amount of work and it is never easy, but we love what we do and that is what makes it successful. Customers can feel the love and attention of each of our brands.  

What do you do to stay current on new trends and how do you feel about creating dishes purely for Instagram?

We don’t create our dishes for Instagram, we create dishes for the daily routine. When you start to create dishes specifically for a platform, it will lose its authenticity and is trying too hard.