‘We value each and every visitor’

It started merely as a pastime, but a hobby visualised with a focus on detail and finesse. Today, it is a thriving business spread all over the region and outside. Combining an artist’s aesthetic sense with a businessman’s acumen, Shakespeare and Co blows life into the old Victorian spirit in the contemporary times.    
For its distinct Victorian-style interior design and a large menu of home-made food with everything available at all times of the day, Shakespeare and Co, an Emirates-based chain of restaurants, has attracted a huge audience in Doha and elsewhere within no time. 
Already receiving a packed house at all times at two different addresses in The Pearl and Dar Al Salam Mall, the company in Doha is all set to open two more branches, with one in the upcoming Mall of Qatar. “The owner who started this outlet first built it on the building that her husband used to work in. Her husband is an architect. He was working on the upper floor and she decided to have her first location over there,” Sami Azrak, Managing Director of Shakespeare and Co in Qatar, tells Community. 
“They were not expecting the impact that it has created to reach where it is today. They are a Lebanese family living in Dubai. It was not something that they believed at that point would replace or make their main business,” says Sami, recalling how the idea originated and went in to become a huge business.
Pointing to the fabulous interior décor of the restaurant, a signature for Shakespeare and Co, Sami says the owner was very interested in art and in details and in creating something unique, something different. For her it was something to pass her time but she created it with love.  “She did it for her. The design that you see here comes from that era and I think the name takes the influence from that. She wanted to make it a place where everybody could come and enjoy a good meal at a decent price with a good presentation,” says Sami. 
She wanted to create a place that feels like home where people can have breakfast, lunch or dinner any time of the day, just like home when you come in and can have whatever you want. And that is exactly what they do, says Sami. The chain expanded first in the Emirates. From one branch they went on to establish 22 branches in the Emirates and then 12 internationally in United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar. 
“We started here three years ago. We had interest in it because of its rapid growth and because of the popularity in the region. As a group we are the franchiser for Qatar. We opened our first branch in the Dar Al Salam Mall,” Sami tells us. 
“From day one, we had success because of the recognition that was already present for the brand. A year and half later we decided to expand to The Pearl Qatar where we are doing great,” he observes. Before the end of year they are adding two more locations. 
They get a combination of every type of customer. “Here you can see the families, the couples and the bachelors. Soon after we open at 8am, we get people who come in to have quick breakfast before they go for a run and you see the guys who woke up late from the party the previous night and they are coming to have their breakfast,” Sami points to the full dining hall. They have over 100 items in our menu and apart from the restaurant part, they are also a café. There are desserts, pastries and different types of coffees. 
“A lot of people who are not familiar with the Shakespeare and Co should also know that we make our own chocolate. We make them in Emirates and they are hand-wrapped individually. They are presented in a beautiful box and they have different themes,” says the Shakespeare and Co MD in Qatar.
It is very popular item, he says, among the local community on their weddings, baby showers, and other such occasions. It is a very unique part of Shakespeare and Co. 
Sami says they care about quality and presentation. For him, it is a personal business where he is personally involved and loves to himself eat there. “I think what makes us different is the fact that we treat this as home and we really value each and every single visitor. We are looking forward to grow for the long-term,” says Sami.