Following a competitive tender exercise led by JLL, the selection of Orange Hospitality Group to develop and operate a new Parisian restaurant named Josette at ICD Brookfield Place, located in Dubai’s DIFC, is confirmed.

Josette was the winning bid amongst 30 local and international brands invited to tender, three were shortlisted for the unit. Over a period of four months, JLL evaluated operators based on 50 scoring criteria including holding company, proposed concepts, financials, branding strategy and operation strength as well as the fit within the building and its other F&B operators.

Alexis Marcoux-Varvatsoulis, Foodservice Consulting Lead MENA at JLL, said: “Global foodservice sales were growing at around four per cent per year pre COVID-19 and this rate was expected to continue, if not increase a little further to just below five per cent.

“As traditional real estate operational approaches are being challenged in the current landscape and with approximately 11,000 restaurants in Dubai, operators need a fresh perspective, witha focus on hospitality led, flexible, sustainable, technology-driven assets to build resilience and shape the future of real estate.With DIFC presenting one of the highest densities of Finer Dining establishments in the city (18 per cent of total DIFC supply), JLL ensured that the chosen concept ison par and will complement the vision and ethos of ICD Brookfield Place. The concept is also aligned with future market trends and will deliver successful operations well into the future,” added Marcoux-Varvatsoulis.

Omar Saidehat Orange Hospitality Group said: “We have created an original concept with an artistic flair that is specifically designed for ICD Brookfield Place.”

Designed by Foster and Partners, ICD Brookfield Place is the region’s premier lifestyle and business destination, with over four acres of highly curated dining, retail and community spaces alongside 990,000 square feet of premium workspace. Key tenants present within the destination include multinationals, Ernst & Young, Julius Baer, Natixis, UBS and a 65,000 square feet private members club, The Arts Club.

Ben McGregor, Investment Director at ICD Brookfield Place said: “We set out to find a restaurant that will deliver a vibrant, best in class experience anchored by an operator with a strong record for success. Orange Hospitality’s ‘Josette’ addressed all of these criteria with their new and exciting concept that is set to open its doors in Q4, 2021”.

Throughout the process, JLL supported ICD Brookfield Place by compiling a request for proposal (RFP) document and ensuring that it was shared with potential operators to invite them to bid. After bidders submitted the relevant proposals, JLLscored the respondents on different criteria with each having different weight depending on their importance to the RFP. After thorough analysis, Orange Hospitality was selected by JLL to be the best fit for the ground floor unit at ICD Brookfield Place.