“Disrupting the transient passenger dining experience.” So runs the mantra of HWH Hospitality Investments, the Dubai-based airport food & beverage operator that took the recent 2019 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards in Dallas by storm in a stunning follow-up to its breakthrough success at the same event a year earlier.

As reported, HWH snapped up two global FAB Awards this year – flour + stone being named Airport Food to Go of the Year, and S34 awarded Airport Food & Beverage Offer Best Reflecting Sense of Place, two of the star offerings within the company’s eclectic portfolio at DXB (Dubai International).

The company also picked up a flurry of regional FAB awards, while in 2018 at FAB in Helsinki HWH secured the Airport Coffee, Tea or other Non-alcoholic Beverage Outlet of the Year for its Treehouse Juicery at DXB.

In this special Picture Gallery, we examine the various outlets that make up the HWH offer at DXB. HWH Co-Founder Mustafa Al Hashimi says that before the company’s founding, he and fellow founder Talha Al-Hahsimi always felt a “disconnect” between the DXB F&B offer and the city’s thrillingly diverse culinary scene. In an interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Mustafa recalled asking, ‘Why is that? Why can’t I get something in the airport that looks beautiful and tastes beautiful, something that I would expect to get downtown?”

In 2013, Mustafa and Talha Al Hashimi answered those questions, creating HWH Investments and opening a pizzeria designed like a Milan tram at DXB. The project not only announced HWH’s arrival on the airport scene but also defined its philosophy and image as an innovator and disruptor.

“Design is central to everything we do,” says Talha Al Hashimi during a tour of the company’s DXB food & beverage footprint with The Moodie Davitt Report. “We always like to come up with bright ideas. But the great thing is that the airport allows us to be creative, and not restrict ourselves. This is the environment in which we’re thriving. It’s allowing us to really compete and to get the best out of ourselves.

“We’re lucky that we’re in an environment at DXB where we always push to be the best worldwide. And it all comes down from the top. They say, ‘Go strive to be the best. Don’t stay within your limits. Don’t be satisfied with just being number one in your city or in your county or in your region. Go global.’ And that’s where our true inspiration comes from. We are fearless.”

That fearlessness was on show for all to see in Dallas. Striving to be the best in the world has paid off royally for HWH. And one suspects that plenty more exciting new concepts lie ahead.

[Look out for our special report on FAB 2019 in The Foodie Report eZine, out later this month.]

PICTURE GALLERY

FLOUR + STONE

HWH says: Bread unites people across all cultures—place a big, crusty loaf fresh from the oven on the table, and watch as borders fade and happiness grows. Bread plays an important role in every culture and is a food that some argue was the birth of civilisation.

What the FAB judges said: The food central to our winning concept was vital in the birth of civilisation. So it is apt that it now plays an important role in satisfying travellers at the airport, that great crossroads of humanity.

But more than offering fresh and convenient food, this concept is warm, cozy, fragrant and inviting – with a menu that spreads across continents. It not only expressed the universal language of food but of travel. Undoubtedly one of the great new airport F&B concepts of recent times, one that has delivered outstanding financial results since opening in 2018.

S34 GAHWA MEZZE BAR

HWH says: A homegrown coffeehouse taking inspiration from the qahwas found within the quaint back alleys of old towns, S34 Gahwa Mezze Bar is a charming culmination of tradition meeting modernity.

What the FAB judges said: A superb example of blending tradition with a modern take on local heritage. This concept takes you right into the heart of old alleys and neighbourhoods – or at least that’s how you are made to feel, exploring local arts, culture and community. Our winner captures Sense of Place in an atmospheric but also commercially successful and vibrant manner. 

NUTELLA CAFÉ

HWH says: We spread positive energy in families to bring more optimism to the world. With a worldwide presence and a strong marketing strategy Nutella has became one of our partners to spread in a different way the famous brand in the city of Dubai.

We say: The opening of the first airport Nutella Café represents a groundbreaking initiative. It is both a testament to the concept of the travel retail ‘Trinity’ (airport, brand, concessionaire) and – in terms of investment, imagination and execution – a triumphant example of it becoming reality. At DXB the three parties have brought a household brand to life in a new, different, engaging and deeply personalised fashion.

TRANZEET

HWH says: With hundreds of thousands of passengers passing through our airports, Tranzeet aims to provide an elevated airport offering for people of different cultures to experience the most popular food the region has to offer. Tranzeet aims to change the airport dining scene by offering a place to dine that is easy but inspired, offering a sense of place, a sense of comfort and a sense of fun to the travellers of the world.

We say: Very, very nearly a third FAB global 2019 winner for HWH Investments (it won a regional award), Tranzeet is a brilliant interpretation of the diner concept, a fascinating fusion of Americana and local character. Familiar design elements of American diners from days gone by lend an air of nostalgia, offset by a lovely array of modern touches, including a photobooth catering to the social media age. Dishes include Cotton Candy, popcorn, soft-serve ice cream, slushies, monster shakes and burgers. The design is all about colour and fun. And so is the food and drink.

TREEHOUSE JUICERY

HWH says: Treehouse Juicery is our vision in creating a guilt-free healthy eating journey by offering our guests on-the-go good quality nutritious food with a maximum positive focus and offering the highest level of customer service and satisfaction by understanding the simplicity of healthy eating.

What the FAB judges said (in 2018): This category is always one of the most hotly contested and the class of 2018 was no exception. The judges were unanimous in their decision though, with HWH Hospitality Investments standing out for its combination of crafted, creative, consumer-driven approach and sheer vibrancy.

It’s contemporary, it’s on-trend and it’s performing way above and beyond the operator’s – and the airport’s – wildest expectations. Moreover, the Treehouse Juicery concept has unashamedly sought to challenge the status quo, bringing a design, marketing and consumer-driven approach every bit as fresh as the tantalising cold pressed juices it offers.

QFTA

HWH says: Kafta, that oh-so-delicious blend of ground meat, spices and herbs, speaks to people from all walks of life. In different names and guises, in different shapes, with different sauces and breads, kafta is a humble and satisfying dish enjoyed cross culturally.

Greece, Turkey, The Balkans, Italy, The Levant, North Africa, Arabia, Iran, South Asia and even Japan have versions that are all linked through their basic premise – a minced meat mélange, flame-grilled and served up for an easy, satisfying meal. 

This humble, homey dish is like a hamburger with a global personality.

The use of the Lucky Eye in our design and brand signal our friendly, playful nature.

We say: HWH says that QFTA is all about “spreading a bit of food happiness with a wink and a smile”. It certainly does that with a modern, wholesome ambience and offer, cleverly leveraging the Lucky Eye within the design to delightful effect.