Business trips mean a lot of different things. For us at Sahadi’s we try to do a mix of physically walking these shows to discover new products, meeting up with suppliers, and business dinners. That means long days of getting to the show at 10a, walking 20k steps by 4p, and then getting ready for dinners that can stretch into the next day. Gulfood 2024 in Dubai was especially meaningful, as we had the new generation joining us.

Sharing great food with suppliers we have been buying from for years make these evenings lovely. They are long days but always worth it.

While in Dubai we had the luxury of an extra day or two to explore the area markets and eat in more restaurants. Observing the food culture in the Gulf States was very different than in Lebanon, or Europe or the US. We ate in both formal and fast casual format restaurants and enjoyed them all. An extra bonus for us was that we have family there, and it was a wonderful opportunity to visit and enjoy a meal with them.

Dubai is over the top in architecture and design -- and the restaurants are equally ambitious. We had so many memorable meals. Expect to see that inspiration in our new spring and summer cafe menus!