The Pioneering Restauranteurs – Meet the pioneering female restauranteurs of the region

THE PIONEERING RESTAURANTEURS

MEET THE PIONEERING FEMALE RESTAURANTEURS OF THE REGION

WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS

IMAGES: GETTY AND SUPPLIED Sheikha Al Mheiri Emirati entrepreneur Sheikha Al Mheiri is an individual who wears many hats and restauranteur is just one of them. As the founder of MAD (Making A Difference) Hospitality, she is the brains behind some of the most popular concepts in Dubai including The Grey in Al Safa 1. One of the closest to her heart, as she previously told Emirates Woman, is Society which first opened its doors in 2017. “The fusion dining concept was conceptualised with the people of Dubai as my ultimate muse, our society,” she said of the dining concept.

Natasha Sideris As one of the most recognised figures in the F&B industry in the UAE, Natasha Sideris has built some of the most beloved brands in the space in recent years. Under the umbrella of Tashas Group, the prolific restauranteur now has over 24 locations across South Africa and the UAE. In particular, since the group’s integration into the UAE market in 2014, Tashas Group has expanded exponentially with a mixture of cafes and fine-dining concepts which include Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas and Galaxy Bar.

Chef Sara Aqel Last year, Italian restaurant Fi’lia became the first-ever fully female-led restaurant in the UAE. Heading up the team is Chef Sara Aqel, who began the role at just 25-years-old. Since launching in May last year, the Italian-Mediterranean restaurant, located at the SLS Dubai, has become hugely popular, delivering both in style and substance.

Tania Lodi Tania Lodi is the founder of the incredibly popular Tania’s Teahouse which first opened in 2017. Located in Umm Suqeim 2, the venue serves an array of quirky teas such as Socie-tea Snob, Detox Tea-tox and Don’t Chai This at Home. More recently, she launched Sereni-tea,

Clockwise from top: The Grey, Fi’lia and Avli by tashas

located in holistic wellness centre Keyani, under the Tania’s Teahouse umbrella.

Alia Alrayes Popular breakfast and lunch spot The Duchess is the brainchild of Emirati restauranteur Alia Alrayes. The concept first opened its doors in La Mer, but moved to the Mercato Mall in Jumeirah in early 2022.

Noora Salem Noora Salem is a top Emirati restauranteur in the UAE. Having had a passion for food since she was young, she saw a gap in the F&B space in the UAE, with the vision to change what “eating healthy” means. With that, VIBE officially opened in 2018. The concept now has two locations: Vibe Café in Al Wasl and Vibe Restaurant & Bar in DIFC.

Amal Al Marri & Deem Al Bassam What first started as a food truck in 2014, has now become one of the most popular food concepts in the region. SALT, founded by Amal Al Marri from the UAE and Deem Al Bassam from Saudi Arabia, now has a total of 10 locations spread across the emirates and the Kingdom.