WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS
“If I had not been brave enough at that time to start, where would we have been today?” Raphael Duntoye asks. It’s a particularly poignant question for LPM’s Chef Patron as he celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the restaurant’s opening in Dubai. Launching three years after LPM’s flagship London restaurant – previously known as La Petit Maison – in 2010, LPM Dubai has become a source of inspiration globally for the brand. “In the same way as the city and people aim for the best, LPM Dubai has kept pushing boundaries,” Duntoye tells Emirates Woman. Pushing boundaries they have done, particularly in a year of total uncertainty. It’s what Duntoye has found continues to fare him well on his road to success – don’t be afraid to work hard. “Perseverance and tenacity has always made me move forward in times of difficulty, as has hope and believing in people and myself,” he says. This is the exact attitude that was taken during the height of lockdown for LPM Dubai – use your perseverance, tenacity and bravery to move forward. While many industries have been affected drastically by the COVID-19 pandemic, the F&B industry has taken a particularly hard hit. With strict lockdowns in place, no one was dining out in the UAE effectively losing 100 per cent revenue for many restaurants throughout the region. However, as they have done so for a de-
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Having cultivated LPM Restaurant & Bar as a global power player in the F&B industry, Raphael Duntoye knows it takes grit, determination and bravery to stay true to your passion and craft in order to succeed
cade, LPM Dubai adapted, pushed the boundaries and embraced the immediate change. By doing so, every single staff member was kept in full-time employment. “Put it this way, you have to adapt if you want to make it,” Duntoye says. “If someone would have told me before coronavirus that we would do delivery, I wouldn’t have believed them.” Despite having had many requests for years to launch delivery, it was never in the cards for LPM simply because they were always so busy, but the pandemic totally changed that. “When we were having our back against the wall during the lockdown, we had to adapt,” he explains. “Hard times always bring out the best in you. Everybody worked hard together and look at what the team has been able to achieve – we are not only known as a great restaurant, but also one of the best take away concepts there is.” This is the exact reason why LPM Dubai continues to be a leader in the F&B space in the UAE – the continued reinvention to engage loyal customers and entice new ones. Duntoye puts it bluntly, “In simple words, if
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The Tenacious
LIFE
9/29/20 1:44 PM