Keeping It Social As Social F+B continues to build its portfolio across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Principal Stephan Brutti discusses the art of storytelling and the importance of creating a sense of place. Words: Eleanor Howard
PROFILE Stephan Brutti Partner Social F+B With over two decades of experience in bar and restaurant management, as well as multidisciplinary design, Stephan Brutti has an instinctive understanding of hospitality and an ability to capture ideas visually. Brutti joined HBA in 2016, before being promoted to Partner in 2020, heading up the firm’s new dedicated F&B division, Social F+B. Key Projects: Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya; One & Only Portonovi; One Za’abeel Dubai (2024)
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stablished by interdisciplinary firm Hirsch
first-hand restaurant and bar management
Bedner Associates in response to the
experience? “An old anxiety of mine and
overwhelming demand for specialist F&B
nightmare that keeps me up at night has always
design across Asia, the Middle East and Africa,
been an inability to deliver on what the customer
Social F+B is a 360-degree “strategy-led,
wants,” he recounts. “I understand how crucial it
hands-on” hospitality design agency dedicated
is that venues operate confidently and efficiently,
to creating unique restaurant and bar concepts.
so the customer feels that calmness, enjoyment
“The reason HBA was created in the first place drove the need for a dedicated F&B division,” explains Stephan Brutti, Principal of Social
DREAM BIG
F+B. “HBA has been designing restaurants and
In addition to relying on its in-house
hotels for over 50 years. There was a trend in
consultants, Social also work closely with chefs
the market for specialisms, so they carried out a
to help realise their vision. “We believe that
survey with a group of chefs and the conclusion
sometimes the experience of our consultants
was that if HBA wanted to be serious about F&B
is not enough,” he reveals, acknowledging that
design moving forward, it needed to open its own
unparalleled knowledge that comes from first-
specialist studio.”
hand experience. “Our USP is to work with chefs
OPERATIONS FIRST
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and happiness that comes with hospitality.”
on unique concepts that are aligned with the brands. Standalone chefs dream a lot more, that’s
Having held the position of Creative Director at
why they’re successful – they’re risk takers by
HBA for more than six years, Brutti understood
nature. It’s fantastic working with chefs because
the need for Social to distinguish itself from
they always go above and beyond the hotel’s
its parent company: “Very quickly it became
aspirations. It’s then our job to work with them
apparent that the only way for us to differentiate
to make their vision a reality.”
ourselves was to offer F&B consultancy services
That said, any interior designer will know that
and really understand the bones of F&B, so we
creating hotel F&B venues does not come without
weren’t just approaching a client brief in the
challenges. “We advocate for extensive market
same way as hotel designers,” he explains.
research. If you’re going to create F&B within any
And who understands the bare bones of F&B
hotel or city, you need to understand the culture
better than the son of a restauranteur with
down to the local artisans, suppliers, produce,