Kuuru
Client: Leylaty Group
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Date: March 2024
Cuisine: Nikkei
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Kuuru is a Japanese Peruvian concept that embodies an elevated casual atmosphere and is truly unique to the Saudi Arabian market. Kuuru’s aesthetics and the F&B offering have formed a unique and dynamic causal Nikkei concept that blends both cultures innovatively.
Tamoka & Caña
Location
Dubai, UAE
Industry
Hospitality & F&B
Client
Marriott International
Repurposing an established hotel venue created an opportunity to introduce a new beachfront dining destination inspired by the Caribbean.
Tamoka was developed as the transformation of an existing restaurant within a 5-star hotel at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai. The project repositioned an outdated concept into a destination restaurant that appeals to both hotel guests and the local market. Forsite delivered an integrated scope encompassing concept development, branding, interior design, graphics, and foodservice design, ensuring every element contributed to a cohesive guest experience.
The challenge
The project needed to establish a completely new identity while working within the framework of an existing venue.
Transforming an operational hotel restaurant required more than a refurbishment. The new concept had to distinguish itself in Dubai's competitive beachfront dining scene while making effective use of the existing footprint and strengthening its appeal beyond hotel guests. Every design and branding decision needed to support the repositioning of the venue as a destination in its own right.
The APPROACH
A unified concept shaped every stage of the transformation.
The project began by redefining the venue around a Caribbean-inspired identity that extended beyond the menu. Branding, interiors, graphics, and foodservice design were developed together so the guest experience remained consistent across every touchpoint.
The spatial planning reorganised the restaurant into a collection of connected environments rather than a single dining room. Interior seating, outdoor terraces, and beachfront experiences were designed to function as distinct destinations while remaining part of one cohesive concept.
Material selections, finishes, artwork, and landscaping reinforced the Caribbean narrative through natural textures and handcrafted elements. Rather than relying on themed decoration, the design used atmosphere, materiality, and openness to express the character of the destination.
Because the project covered multiple disciplines simultaneously, strategic decisions around concept, guest journey, branding, and physical design informed one another throughout the development process.
HOW DID WE STRATEGIZE A PLACE THAT WORKS?
From hotel outlet to destination restaurant
The project repositioned an existing hotel restaurant into a venue capable of attracting both hotel guests and local visitors. Every discipline contributed to creating a stronger identity that could stand independently within Dubai's dining scene.
One destination with multiple experiences
Indoor dining, outdoor terraces, and the beachfront bar offer different guest experiences within a single concept. This allows the venue to remain active throughout the day while serving a range of dining occasions.
A concept expressed through every touchpoint
Concept development, branding, interiors, graphics, and foodservice design were developed as one integrated process. This consistency allows the Caribbean identity to be experienced through the environment as much as through the food and beverage offering.
THE RESULT
Tamoka transformed an existing hotel restaurant into a beachfront destination with a distinct identity rooted in Caribbean culture.
By combining concept development, branding, foodservice design, and interiors within one integrated vision, the project established a guest experience that extends well beyond the dining table. Its industry recognition through multiple award shortlists reflects the strength of that holistic approach, while providing a platform for the venue's continued success.
