Fundamental Hospitality is now venturing into hotels alongside already established Dubai-born restaurant brands including Gaia, Shanghai Me and La Maison Ani.
Dubai-based Fundamental Hospitality is accelerating a global expansion programme initially valued at $200M, with plans to open around 15 restaurants in 2026 across the GCC, Europe and the US.
Founded by Evgeny Kuzin, the group has entered a new phase of growth as demand for its Dubai-created brands including Gaia, Shanghai Me, La Maison Ani expands beyond the region. Kuzin said the current investment plan could increase as additional opportunities are finalised.
“This year alone the plan is around 15 restaurants,” Kuzin revealed in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business.
Beyond restaurants, Fundamental Hospitality is preparing to enter the hotel sector, with plans for multiple lifestyle hotel concepts linked to its existing brands, as well as luxury real estate development. “We are planning large-scale projects. This includes a Gaia hotel, other lifestyle hotel concepts and luxury real estate development,” he revealed.
Kuzin said the group’s priority remains building individual brands rather than promoting the holding company itself. “Fundamental Hospitality is a holding company,” he said. “Our main focus is always the brands within it.”
The expansion builds on a strategic shift that began in 2018, when Fundamental Hospitality moved from importing international concepts into Dubai to developing proprietary brands locally and scaling them overseas.
