Tashas Group has struck a AED100M ($27M) joint venture with UAE developer Arada to open at least 10 new restaurants across the Gulf over the next two years.
The deal bets that demand for premium dining is moving beyond the malls and downtown districts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The partnership, shared exclusively with Arabian Business, will see the group’s flagship Tashas café concept and the soon-to-launch Café Sofi open in Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Nad Al Sheba. The first outlets will debut from December, including a Tashas at Arada’s Aljada community in Sharjah.
The deal reflects shifting demographics and tastes across the UAE, where population growth, the Golden Visa programme and master-planned communities are driving lifestyle spending in secondary cities.
“Tashas cafés are community-driven, all-day dining concepts catering to a broad demographic,” said Natasha Sideris, Founder and Chief Executive of Tashas Group. “In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we are strategically located in residential areas, away from the high-end restaurant clusters. Our Abu Dhabi location is the Group’s top performer, consistently drawing strong footfall throughout the day. We believe these new markets are well-positioned to embrace our brands that are exclusive but don’t exclude.”
For Arada, the venture underscores its strategy to integrate F&B into its lifestyle-first developments. A spokesperson told Arabian Business that Aljada’s East Boulevard already hosts nearly 100 outlets and drew eight million paying visitors last year. “There is clearly significant interest in carefully curated lifestyle attractions with the right mix of F&B offerings,” the spokesperson said.
