Two top industry professionals talk about the opportunities and challenges of retail gastronomy.
Will Odwarka and Jonathan Doughty are among the most experienced F&B experts in the retail gastronomy scene in Europe. In the tenth installment of the ACROSS Discuss series, they discuss what questions property owners, operators, and brands need to ask to be able to address the changing consumer demand, especially when it comes to F&B.
The latest episode in our ACROSS Discuss series addresses the question “Do you have the right place for food?”. Covid caused the industry many headaches, but also presented it with many opportunities. Whereas city centers have almost suffered, smaller towns have benefited in this period. In this episode, Will Odwarka and Jonathan Doughty are exploring the different sectors of the property industry and how they have changed and morphed during the past years, arguing that there are still many property sectors, be it office, shopping center, outlet or high-street, where owners, operators, and brands need to reevaluate and understand consumer needs better, as well as adapt to those needs to better utilize the different concepts at the location.
Businesses need to properly look at the data at hand, as well as at their customers, and assess whether it would be worth for customers to continue engaging with their brand – especially so in the F&B industry. In fact, this also applies to many property owners who have not done their research. It is necessary to look at the figures pre- and post-covid, and define the clear-cut changes in consumer behavior, because the demand has changed, and operators and brands need to realize and adapt to it. In other words, it is time to move on.
Join us as we delve into this topic.
Will Odwarka
Will Odwarka is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting since 2019, and a member of the ACROSS Advisory Board. He was born and raised in Vienna, Austria. He has 30+ years of experience leading international strategic growth and development, Franchise and partner management, and F&B operations. He successfully opened over 1000+ outlets in over 40 countries for renowned global players such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, Costa, and Wendy’s and smaller players like Creamscafe and Coffeeshopcompany. He strongly focuses on international market entry for F&B players, brand and investor scouting, and AI in hospitality in the Middle East and Europe.
Jonathan Doughty
As a highly experienced F&B professional, Jonathan Doughty, also a Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, has worked at all corporate levels, and has held both executive and non-executive board roles, as well as special advisory appointments and acted in training roles. He has extensive experience around the world in hospitality, property, food and beverage and commercial real estate. Having worked remotely, in situ and on demand in over 30 countries, he is recognised as a leading professional in both the foodservice and commercial property industry.
