21/04/2026
A lot of people think if a restaurant in Dubai looks busy, it must be doing well.
Not always true.
From the outside you’ll see orders going out, riders waiting, everything looks active. But once you factor in commissions, discounts, and all the extra costs, margins get squeezed pretty hard.
That’s why some places do decent volume but still struggle.
The ones that seem to last longer don’t rely only on delivery platforms. They use them, but they don’t depend on them. They build demand elsewhere and control their visibility.
Came across a breakdown on this that actually explains it well:
https://upscalemedia.ae/restaurant-marketing-agency-dubai/
Worth reading if you’re in the F&B space or just curious how things really work behind the scenes.
