“Clubs and alcohol and such are always the last to be affected in times of crisis. In nightlife, you make the most money in one bulk — during the holidays and weekends — and it is sustainable for the subsequent period, while in restaurants you make the same amount every day and so are more vulnerable to slumps in business”
“People are drinking less but are drinking better: when you start appreciating spirits, you’d rather have two good bottles instead of four average ones. This has to do with taste, selection and availability. they go a little bit higher in price but they get better quality”
“We are looking forward and have a vision though the situation puts you on your nerves. But our clients keep us going: birthdays and weddings are still happening so you have to be there. we are part of people’s life celebrations”
“I believe in order to have a successful hospitality venture in Lebanon these days you have to have the right concept and not be dependent on a potential overflow of customers in the form of tourists or expats”
“Those who have money are still spending as before but those who are of a mid-income level are spending a bit less, creating a vicious circle where if one does not make money one cannot spend as much and this in turn reflects on the venue owner”
“We have some very good hotels but if we get more than a certain number of tourists per year the hotels will be congested, the airport will be congested and so will the roads. We are still not geared for a big inflow [of tourists] and there are a lot of infrastructure changes and build-ups we have to go through”
“Opening this hotel shows that we are not going to give up on Lebanon and that Lebanon will remain standing and investments will continue”
