Jack Daniels has upped its game in the Middle East with the reopening of Jack’s Bar & Grill at the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai International, in partnership with Emirates Leisure Retail.
The unit is in Concourse A of Terminal 3 and adds an extra touch of Tennessee hospitality to the busy thoroughfare at the airport, inviting passing passengers to indulge in an all-American dining and drinking experience.
When Terminal 3 was opened in 2008 it was the largest building in the world by floor area and Concourse A is the world’s first and largest purpose-built A380 facility and one of the three concourses used exclusively by hub carrier Emirates.
The original Jack’s opened there in 2013 and had become a popular, though pricey, watering hole at the airport. The upgrade is expected to drive even more fans through the door, helped by the Jack Daniel’s sign over the door. In its Best Global Brands 2021 report, Interbrand named Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey as the most valuable spirits brand in the world and it was the only spirits brand ranked in the global top 100 at 81st. In its 2023 report, the brand ranked 85th with another spirit brand, Hennessy Cognac, in 93rd place.
Commenting on the new unit, Stéphane Morizet, marketing director for GTR (global travel retail) at parent company Brown-Forman
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As well as a menu of expertly crafted—as one might expect—Jack Daniel’s signature cocktails is an “elevated casual dining experience” according to a statement from Brown-Forman. How it has been elevated the drinks company did not say although “authentic American surroundings” are part of the new refit.
Blended travel retail
Tyrone Reid, group CEO of Emirates Leisure Retail & Maritime & Mercantile International, shed a little more light. “Jack’s is not just a restaurant but a fully integrated blended retail experience, combining a restaurant, bar, and merchandising concept. It merges our group-level expertise of F&B operations and beverage distribution through MMI.”
ELR is a subsidiary of holding company Emirates Group which also controls international aviation services company and ground handler dnata, and Emirates Airlines, the largest carrier in the Middle East. Meanwhile, MMI is a seasoned drinks retailer with high-end boutiques at Dubai International.
The food menu at Jack’s is fairly extensive, with core elements consisting of breakfasts/omelets (from AED40-85/$12-22), burgers and sandwiches (AED70-100/$19-27), and grills and platters starting at AED199 ($54). The most expensive menu item is a 1kg Tomahawk steak at $130 for particularly hungry travelers. On the merchandising side, there are several branded products for sale from metal campfire mugs, shot glasses, and steel water bottles, to T-shirts, beanies, and unisex hooded sweatshirts.
Blended retail experiences are becoming increasingly popular in travel retail. Xavier Rossinyol, the CEO of Avolta (the merged travel F&B business of Autogrill and the world’s biggest airport retailer Dufry) has put his weight behind the idea and his company has already begun rolling out combined offers. Rivals are also looking at similar retail models for future tenders.
Specifically in the drinks sector, Pernod Ricard is also looking to disrupt the wine segment in Britain by making the food connection. The French drinks giant launched the Greasy Fingers label earlier this year—a white and a red—to cut through fat-rich, but popular foods, like burgers. The next step is to find the brand’s official ‘burger sommelier’ a national campaign that will, no doubt, attract interest from the target audience of younger-generation wine drinkers. For anyone interested, the search closes on January 21, 2024.
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