October’s – ‘The Bravery Issue’ – Download Now
“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
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 have 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 decade, 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 you don’t want to be a dinosaur and become extinct, you have to adapt.” LPM’s Chef Patron recently sat down with to discuss the restaurant’s 10-year milestone in Dubai, expansion plans for the franchise and what it takes to make it in this industry.
Talk us through your career history.
In 1995 I began my culinary journey, when I abandoned a career in engineering to follow a life-long passion for food and cooking. I joined Butlers Wharf Chef School in 1995. Following my graduation, I spent the next five years earning my culinary stripes under the mentorship of Pierre Koffman, one of the UK’s most celebrated chefs. Later I served as Executive Sous Chef at Sketch in Mayfair and as a Senior Sous Chef at the Japanese restaurant, Zuma in Knightsbridge, London. In 2007, I opened the first LPM Restaurant & Bar (at the time it was known as La Petite Maison) in Mayfair, London. I have since grown the award-winning restaurant, which now has branches in six major metropolitan cities across the world. So I am an accidental chef. But with every disappointment comes a great blessing.
Who is your mentor in the food business?
I have to pay homage to Pierre Koffmann, for whom I worked at La Tante Claire. He taught me discipline and how to get the most flavour and texture from each ingredient. Rainer Becker, co-founder of Zuma, for whom I worked and learnt many things, in the kitchen but also how to run a business successfully.
I have also had heroes from within the industry over the years – Nick Jones of Soho House, Paddy McKillen of Maybourne Hotel Group (Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley). Also, a great hero of mine that has passed, Sir Terence Conran. What he has been able to achieve has been amazing. Quaglino’s was probably one of the first super-restaurants that achieved greatness back in the days. At the Sir Terence Conran’s chef school (Butlers Wharf Chef School), I was able to take my first step in the kitchen and realize my dream of becoming a chef.
In terms of bravery – it takes a lot to succeed in this industry, what do you think makes or breaks success?
You must never be afraid to work hard, and to be a great chef you must have passion for what you do. Without passion you cannot do this job. Perseverance and tenacity has always made me move forward in times of difficulty, as has hope and believing in people and myself. Also, get your priorities right, to ensure you align your goals and know what is more important. Sometimes in life you need to retreat in order to better fight a battle another day.
What was the reaction to bringing the LPM brand to this region?
We were a game-changer. Zuma came in first, and we came in second and I think we changed the game of hospitality as far as restaurants are concerned. I would gladly say that we helped the industry to evolve for the better. Look at the produce as an example; we had to fight tooth and nail in order to make sure we were getting the produce we needed, as LPM is all about the quality in order to keep the integrity of our brand.
How have things changed for LPM and the F&B industry in Dubai in the last decade?
Things have changed a lot; there are now a lot more restaurants. It is more competitive, and the offering is very vast. Dubai is now a culinary destination. I am happy to see that a lot of concepts have been inspired by LPM, as this has pushed us to always work harder in order to remain a step ahead, as the competition has become better and more diversified for the benefit of Dubai and its people. We have been complimented a lot, with that I feel we have now reached a point where we need to go through an evolution and take LPM to the next level.
What does this 10-year milestone mark for you?
Not everybody can say they have been around for 10 years. If anything, it tells us that we have been doing the right thing, but that we also become even better, so I really look forward to the next 10 years.
Tell us about the future plans for LPM.
Firstly, we need to keep taking care of our Dubai and Abu Dhabi restaurants, and ensure we keep great consistency, while being relevant by evolving and reinventing ourselves. There is no point to expand if you do not have a plan for your existing businesses to keep growing.
Before the end of the year, we will have hopefully opened in Riyadh. The restaurant is ready, but we are waiting for the visa and flights to open to get our team to Saudi Arabia. I am actually really looking forward to this opening, as after the highly successful pop-up we had last year for the Al Diriyah Season, I was impressed by the pallet of the Saudi nationals and also by the love and appreciation we received as a brand but also as a team.
The growth opportunity that the Middle East has to offer to LPM is unparalleled to any other region, so there is still a lot to do for us in this part of the world.
How do you view LPM Dubai within its global network?
Dubai has been our second international restaurant after London and has definitely been a milestone in our LPM history. It has been a great source of inspiration for all our other LPM restaurants and has been highly regarded by our peers. In the same way, as the city and people aim for the best, LPM Dubai has kept pushing boundaries. We have achieved a lot as a restaurant, a business and as a team.
This is ‘The Bravery Issue’ – what does bravery mean to you?
Bravery means a lot to me. It means being inspirational to others and paving the way. Taking steps that others would not take. My philosophy is that the greater the risk the greater the reward. I am a believer that if you never do, you will never know. Commitment and faith are also important values when it comes to bravery. As an example, when I wanted to start LPM and wanted it to be a French sharing concept, my mentor Rainer Becker told me to stick to my guns, if you decide this is what you want then stick to it. No matter how much resistance I got from people (and I got a lot, believe me), I stuck to my belief and look at us today. It is a great emotion to feel you have influenced others in a positive way. If I had not been brave enough at that time, what would we have been today?
