Wednesday 15 / May / 2024
Muscat: Starting out as a waiter, who also used to clean dishes in Australia’s coffee shops while studying law, Omani chef Hamza Al Lawati has recently launched his second posh eatery in Shatti Al Qurum, where he blends Belgian cocoa with Melbourne’s diverse food and culture.
“I thought of introducing something different to impress foodies in Oman, fusion food, décor and a limited but yet varied menu were the magic words (that came to mind),” Al Lawati told the Times of Oman ahead of the grand opening of his restaurant in March.
The S&H Chocolate Lounge was first opened four years ago as a small 80 square metre (sqm) coffee shop, with both sweet and savory items, inspired international chocolate brands.
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The concept was initially developed by Al Lawati, a lawyer by trade, and his brother Salman.
Al Lawati acquired knowledge of chocolates after taking courses from chocolatiers in Belgium. The young entrepreneur then decided to fill the void in the local market with offerings of world class premium chocolates.
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“I invited more than 20 influential people following my soft opening and am planning to promote my business by inviting popular Omani social bloggers,” said Al Lawati, while talking about how networking has helped him attract more foodies.
While traditional forms of networking are considered to be a major factor behind successful small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Sultanate, Al Lawati said social media celebrities can provide a very strong platform for marketing.
Bigger and better
The 260 sqm restaurant is the first of its kind in the country to serve made-in-Oman praline truffles, according to Al Lawati.
He cooks and supervises the staff himself. To boost his business, Al Lawati was recently invited to attend a B2B (Back-to-Business) event, the biggest business networking event in Oman.
Being organised by representatives of non-profit business councils in Oman, including the Oman American Business Centre, the British Business Forum, Australian Business Group Oman and the European Business People Group, its objective is to bring the business community a great opportunity to reach small to large companies, meet new clients, potential business partners and possibly make new friends.
Oman’s SMEs are expected to be involved this time. Around 400 to 500 participants are expected to attend the networking event, which is an important platform as people can network with businesses active in different communities.
B2B will bring together firms working in sectors such as government, oil and gas, construction, transport, infotech, hospitality, finance and more.
