Global Food & Beverage Consultants 

Hospitality is entering a structural reset. By 2026, the brands that win will be those designed for changing appetite, attention and control, prioritising clarity, human service and intentional simplicity over noise and novelty.

Restaurant investment in the Middle East has entered a new chapter. Speaking at Future Hospitality Summit, Think Hospitality’s James Hacon unpacked the structural trends changing how owners, investors and operators think about food and beverage, and why Dubai is now exporting concepts globally.

Beach clubs have moved from lifestyle add-on to serious commercial strategy. In a panel hosted by Think Hospitality Partner Jennifer Pettinger Haines, leaders from Barrière, RIKAS, Nammos and a Dubai-based operator unpack how beach clubs build brand DNA, unlock merchandising and lift hotel ADR.

Many hotels give up on breakfast sales far too early. With the right pricing, messaging and timing, hotel breakfast can become a powerful commercial lever.

Hotel breakfast design quietly influences guest behaviour, satisfaction and revenue. Experience and commercial thinking must work together.

Modern hotel breakfast has shifted from excess to intention. Guests now expect balance, nourishment and choice without sacrificing pleasure.

External food operators are reshaping breakfast expectations. Hotels must evolve to compete for the morning occasion.

Large hotel groups are proving that sustainable breakfast operations can be achieved at scale without compromising guest experience.

The hotel breakfast buffet is evolving. Sustainability is reshaping how abundance, value and guest experience are delivered at breakfast.

The best hotel breakfasts balance perceived value, convenience and care. Guests expect variety that includes everyone, from comfort classics to plant-based and wellness-led options. Service remains critical, with friendly teams and thoughtful details elevating breakfast from a functional meal into a memorable brand experience.

For too long, hotel breakfast has been managed as a cost to contain. In reality, it is a powerful lever for revenue, loyalty and brand differentiation.

Hotel breakfast is the only meal experienced by almost every guest, making it one of the most powerful moments in the stay. More than an amenity, it shapes perception, satisfaction and long-term loyalty.

Breakfast is a comforting ritual in unfamiliar surroundings and often the last meaningful interaction before checkout. It shapes how guests feel about their stay as a whole, blending familiarity, indulgence and care. More than food, breakfast is a powerful emotional touchpoint that influences perception, reviews and repeat visits.

Travelling across more than 20 countries each year gives a rare, unfiltered view of hospitality in action. What brands promise on paper often unravels on the floor, not through one dramatic failure but through hundreds of small ones. Drawing on decades in operations, strategy and brand building, this piece explores the seven most common reasons hospitality businesses underperform, and why clarity, leadership presence and disciplined simplicity matter more than lofty culture s

Managing Partner James Hacon speaks to Restaurant Business Magazine  in the US about the tidal wave of QSR brands crossing the Atlantic in the article U.S. restaurant brands see the U.K. as the land of opportunity . Our perspective: The UK has long been a natural first step for American restaurant brands expanding overseas. A shared language, strong cultural alignment and the scale of the market all play a role, but so too does the UK’s comparatively high acceptance of ultra-

Hospitality industry commentator James Hacon was featured in The Sunday Times analysing how bottled water overtaking beer sales signals a long-term shift in UK drinking culture and what it means for hospitality operators.

Breakfast is where a luxury hotel’s true standards are revealed. James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality, shares why the morning meal is often the most protected and telling part of the guest experience, in a recent AFAR feature.

Think Hospitality Partners James Hacon and Jennifer Pettinger took to the stage at FHS Dubai, leading discussions on restaurant investment trends, ownership value and how beach clubs are redefining food-led hospitality.

Think Hospitality Consulting acted as Thought Partner for GRIF 2025 in Dubai, leading programme development and hosting multiple sessions across one of the global restaurant investment sector’s most influential events.

Think Hospitality partner, Heleri Rande continues to captivate readers with her insightful articles in Supper Magazine. Her recent...