Why So Many Restaurant Openings Quietly Fail

About this episode

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to understand hospitality from every side of the business? Chef JKP sits down with Colin Hutton, CEO and Founder of Umami Comms and Magna Carta, to trace a career that began behind the bar and eventually led to building one of the region’s first hospitality-focused communications agencies. Colin shares how dropping out of university took him through bars, hotels and restaurants across Europe before bringing him to Dubai in 2009. He talks about learning hospitality from the ground up, moving from operations into brand marketing, and spotting the gap that eventually became Umami Comms. They also get into what restaurants often get wrong about PR and marketing, why launches need months of preparation, how Dubai’s dining scene has evolved, and the delivery problem Colin is now trying to solve with Magna Carta. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE • Why Colin dropped out of university and chose his own path • How working across Europe became his real hospitality education • Moving to Dubai in 2009 and adapting to a completely different market • How bartending competitions took him from operations into brand marketing • The idea that led to launching Umami Comms in 2016 • Why restaurants need to plan PR and communications months before opening • What hospitality brands misunderstand about marketing, PR and staying relevant • Building Magna Carta to improve restaurant delivery margins and performance CHAPTERS 00:00 Childhood Food Memories & Growing Up In Dublin 13:43 Dropping Out Of University & Choosing His Own Path 17:08 Couch Surfing Europe & Finding Hospitality 31:58 Moving To Dubai In 2009 39:34 The Bartending Competition That Changed His Career 49:39 Spotting The Gap That Became Umami Comms 01:03:13 What Restaurants Get Wrong About Launching 01:28:13 Building Magna Carta & The Future Of Delivery FEATURED GUEST Colin Hutton CEO & Founder, Umami Comms and Magna Carta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colin.umami/ https://www.instagram.com/umamicomms/ https://www.instagram.com/magnacartahq/ SEASON 13 PARTNER This season is proudly sponsored by Elle & Vire Professionnel, trusted by chefs around the world for exceptional French dairy products shaped by decades of expertise and craftsmanship. Elle & Vire Professionnel Middle East https://www.instagram.com/ellevirprofessionnel_me/ AUDIO PARTNER RØDE https://rode.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW Chef JKP Thermos Flask https://chefjkp.com/product/jkp-thermos-flask/ FOLLOW CHEF JKP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjkp/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefjkp/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjkp Website: https://chefjkp.com/ Food is Memories™️ 🍸 #chefjkp #thechefjkppodcast #colinhutton #umamicomms #hospitality #restaurantmarketingSupport the showFollow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE