The German colony in Haifa.
One of the most prosperous places in Israel in the field of culinary and tourism (Photo: ShutterStock)
"Restaurant critics have recently adopted the practice of visiting a restaurant in its first days. In a chance meeting I had with one of the leaders I asked about the issue, and I wondered if there wasn't some degree of unfairness here. His answer was very sharp and said it all: 'In the current situation, restaurants in Tel Aviv are expected to provide the goods from the first hour. There is no grace,' and he even added sarcastically: 'The prices of the dishes for the customers also have no grace.'"
The speaker is Shmuel (Shmulik) Marcus, a culinary entrepreneur and owner of the consulting company Restotel, which specializes in business development for the hospitality industry.
In recent years, the company has led many projects in Israel and abroad under his direction. Marcus served as the representative of the owner of the Dizengoff Trading Company in the ambitious project "Lagoon Resort" in Netanya, as part of which a 274-room hotel was built together with an international conference hall and restaurants on the promenade.
His activity in the city of Tel Aviv includes the management of the construction of the "Pop and Pop" project in the Hajaj Group's Four Square Towers, a concept floor that covers approximately 2,400 square meters and includes a prestigious chef's restaurant, a lounge bar and an innovative space for events.
Active throughout the country.
Shmulik Marcus (Photo: Florin Kalin)
If we mentioned "Pop and Pop", Marcus says that the scene of restaurants and culinary complexes in luxury towers in Tel Aviv is getting stronger.
"It originates from ambitious real estate developers, who know that a reputable restaurant will add a lot to the positioning of a commercial space and raise its value in the eyes of potential tenants.
The number of towers that have been erected and are planned to be erected in the coming years in Tel Aviv ensures that the scene will continue to kick in big.
In this regard, Tel Aviv is also ahead of European capitals, due to the beginnings of commercial construction, an inexhaustible appetite of real estate developers and the success stories of recent years (Yuval Ben Neria's A in the new Azrieli Towers also stands out). Today, chefs and nightlife groups return non-stop by real estate developers, who make extensive investments in order to establish a bar or restaurant that will be a magnet for many audiences.
Here too, Tel Aviv leads by considerable margins.
Because of the construction restrictions, this is a trend that will not be in attractive areas like Jaffa, or cities like Acre, and certainly not in Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv has become a culinary powerhouse, he testifies, "The Michelin guide is apparently about to arrive in Israel, and there is talk of international restaurants that will arrive here. A new standard of quality and extremely high customer expectations has been created. In the past, a restaurant set for itself to open gradually, become professional, and then increase occupancy In the current situation in Tel Aviv, there are no days of grace, already in the first days of opening a new restaurant, efforts are made to create buzz around it when it is clear that vacant places or incomplete visibility may cloud the chances of success already in the short term."
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A culinary powerhouse.
Reopening of cafes and restaurants in Tel Aviv, March 2021 (Photo: Reuven Castro)
So everything is good, isn't it?
Well, not exactly.
"Besides the leaders in the level of entertainment and cuisine, Tel Aviv has become expensive. Very expensive. The objective reasons lie in the constant increase in the prices of raw materials, in the high wage costs and costs caused by excess regulation, but this is the property of restaurateurs throughout the country, so what is the reason for the high cost? First, the prices The real estate in the city is unlike anything else in the areas outside of Tel Aviv.
The rental prices in the demand areas reach 250 to 300 shekels per square meter, sometimes more. In the current situation, this cost threatens the chances of profitability. Together with other factors, this is not an easy task that creates pressure from day one and causes the pricing formulas of the dishes to go up.
"The reason The second is that the entertainment habits have changed.
People are not satisfied with good food and service, they want to see and be seen, do everything to get a table in the most prestigious place, enjoy advertising that they are on a 'waiting list' for a month,
But does Tel Aviv necessarily know how to produce the highest culinary level?
Not sure.
"The best restaurants in Israel today are miraculously found outside of Tel Aviv. 'Michael Bistro Komumi' in Liman, Yehi Zino's decorated 'Pescado' in Ashdod, Assaf Granit's iconic 'Mechanioda' in Jerusalem (which is currently renovating and opening a pop-up in Tel Aviv - Dr. .), Yoni Danon's 'Nomi' in Kfar Monesh are among the most prominent. They prove that there is life outside the big city."
From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, but it's only temporary.
Assaf granite in Manioda (photo: Ido Shaham, Ido Shaham)
During the Corona period, working together with the managers of Start Up Nation Central in Israel and the representatives of the owners in the USA, Marcus helped build a new business platform that led to the establishment of the Center for Food Culture in Israel called "Assif". Today he is engaged in strategic consulting for entrepreneurs and management companies, which are planning the establishment of Restaurants or recreation centers in hotels and tourist sites. Among the main activities of his activity is trust for the business development of the culinary industry in the Fatal hotel chain and is involved in the planning and development of no less than 11 restaurants and catering systems that are to be opened in the company's new hotels in the next three years nationwide.
One of the destinations he considers very good is Haifa.
"This is a city that has always been defined as having potential, in real estate, business development and also in culinary.
A colorful city that consists of a unique mix of religions and denominations.
All of these create a very promising mosaic in terms of a unique kitchen.
Indeed, it appears that in recent years, and especially since the end of the Corona period, the city is coming to life in terms of restaurants and eateries.
The port complex provides a series of fantastic restaurants, including some that would be included in the top 10 in Tel Aviv.
It seems that Haifa is the next thing on the Israeli culinary map."
A concept change is required.
The places to eat in Eilat remain orphaned (Photo: ShutterStock)
The State of Israel has become a valued culinary reserve, but in this thorn there is a great Elia - Eilat.
"In the early 1990s, Eilat was a real tourist hotspot," explains Marcus, "it was the land of eternal sunshine for tourists who flocked to it from all over the world. Over the years, the attractiveness of the tourist product has declined, largely due to competition from neighbors from Egypt and Jordan, where hotel brands have sprung up very strong and at much more attractive prices that have driven away tourists. This, alongside the outdated hotels that do not offer a modern experience. This trend has greatly affected the level of culinary in the city. The large crowd of vacationers who frequent the hotels along the way are satisfied with the meals served to them as part of the half-board or all-inclusive arrangement, so that attractive restaurants for families, have become irrelevant in recent years."
So what will bring the change?
"Eilat longs for an up-to-date entertainment experience in the form of bars with haute cuisine and restaurants of well-known chefs from Israel or even abroad," concludes Marcus, "This can be confirmed by the success story of the Mamo restaurant with the talented chef Ohad Levy, who moved from Tel Aviv and is considered to the most sought after place in the city.
This shows how many residents of Eilat and especially the crowd that comes to vacation there are thirsty for quality restaurants.
The expected change will come from a perceptual change in the hotel opening map and the hotel product update.
Eilat will have to bring up-to-date content that will attract diverse audiences, digital tourism and culinary lovers who are willing to cross continents to spend time in a city that offers a culinary abundance and a unique pastime alongside a natural treasure."
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Economic business and real estate
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Haifa
Tel Aviv Jaffa