EXCLUSIVE: Dubai’s Gaia reveals plans for its first hotel as Fundamental Hospitality pursues $200 million global expansion

Dubai-based Fundamental Hospitality is accelerating a global expansion programme initially valued at $200 million, with plans to open around 15 restaurants in 2026 across the GCC, Europe and the United States.

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.

Initially planned to be a $200 million expansion plan, during the interview Kuzin revealed that recent meetings could double the expansion figure to $400 million.

“As it goes from my meetings this morning, that scaling plan might actually double from $200m,” he said.

“We’ve been very busy. We have been approached by everybody around the world. Everybody wants our brands today.”

Luxury hotels and real estate ahead

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.

“We started by bringing international brands to Dubai because there was strong demand. 2018 was a turning point for us when we started to create brands in Dubai. Our first flagship brand was Gaia, which became the signature of the group and one of the best performing restaurants in the city,” Kuzin said.

Gaia expands from Dubai to the world

Gaia has since expanded into international markets including London and Monaco, establishing the brand beyond the UAE. Kuzin said Dubai’s position as a global crossroads played a critical role in that success.

“If you launch a product in Dubai today and succeed, you are effectively becoming popular all around the world. Dubai has become the best international platform to grow a brand. It is a melting pot of nationalities and a global meeting point,” he said.

The group’s growth has extended into lifestyle and beach club formats, with new concepts added to the portfolio following Gaia’s performance. Early international traction was achieved without a formal marketing structure, primarliy through word of mouth.

“For a long time we did not have a marketing department,” he said. “The brand was speaking for itself.”

Rapid scaling has shifted focus toward execution, staffing and consistency across markets. Talent development holds importance as the central operational challenge.

“Our business is an HR business. The main challenge is always finding the right people, training them, explaining the vision and coaching them,” he explained.

To manage that complexity, Fundamental Hospitality operates a dedicated task force responsible for openings and quality control. Senior team members rotate across markets to oversee launches and training.

“We have a team that focuses only on openings. They travel from country to country, opening restaurants, checking quality and doing additional training,” he explained.

The group prioritises internal promotion, with staff typically trained in Dubai before supporting international openings.

“We always try to grow people within the group,” he said. “People need to work in the original restaurant to fully understand the concept before they go.”

GCC and US lead future growth

A key milestone in the current expansion cycle is entry into the United States, beginning with Miami. The positive response to the announcement was attributed to the strength of the brand’s international following.

“When we announced Gaia in Miami, the feedback surprised me. Everybody knew the brand and was excited. Many of our clients live there and are looking forward to it,” he said.

Further US expansion is under evaluation, alongside continued growth across Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Despite the international push, Dubai remains the group’s operational base.

“Dubai remains our main base and the most important city for the group,” Kuzin said. “But the big focus now is the GCC and the United States.”

Looking ahead, customer response remains the primary measure of success.

“The biggest appreciation for me is the energy we receive from customers. When you walk into a busy restaurant and see people happy, that is what drives us,” he said, adding that the long-term ambition remains unchanged.

“The goal is to become the largest luxury hospitality group in the world,” Kuzin concluded.