Eddy Massaad, Founder of Swiss Butter, shares the lessons behind building one of the region’s most consistent casual dining success stories.
There’s a certain buzz that surrounds every new restaurant opening in the UAE. The branding, the buildout, the launch parties, it’s an industry that thrives on anticipation. But behind the scenes, the real story is often less glamorous. According to Eddy Massaad, Founder of Swiss Butter, most restaurant failures are decided long before the first guest ever walks through the door.
“People assume restaurants fail because the food wasn’t good or the concept didn’t work,” Massaad said. “In reality, most failures happen months before opening, when the foundations aren’t right. If your systems, team, and strategy aren’t built to last, you’re setting yourself up to fail before you even start.”
Having opened 19 Swiss Butter locations across five countries, including multiple restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Massaad has seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t, in building a scalable, sustainable hospitality brand. He shared the lessons he’s learned from years of expansion and why consistency, not hype, is the true measure of success.
1. “Your Opening Isn’t an Event – It’s a Process.”
Massaad believes one of the most common mistakes new operators make is treating opening day like a finish line.
“It’s not the end. It’s the starting line,” he explained. “At Swiss Butter, we treat the first 18 months in any new market as our proof of concept. In markets where we’re already established, that window shortens to 12 months but the principle stays the same.”
While many brands chase instant buzz, Massaad warns that early hype can be misleading. “Anyone can fill tables for the first few weeks,” he said. “The real test is what happens after the noise fades. Can your team still deliver the same quality, service, and energy under pressure, day after day, month after month?”
For Swiss Butter, success isn’t about the perfect launch. “It’s about proving that the experience holds up over time,” he added.
2. “Soft Openings Aren’t Optional.”
For Massaad, a soft opening is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
“If you’re not doing a soft opening, you’re setting your team up to fail,” he said.
Every Swiss Butter location begins with a soft opening phase, where the restaurant operates under real conditions but with a smaller, more controlled audience.
“It’s how we stress-test our systems,” Massaad explained. “It gives the team time to catch and fix breakdowns, build confidence, and refine timing and coordination before the real pressure hits. You only see how strong your systems are once real guests are sitting at your tables.”
3. “Your Team Will Make or Break You.”
Massaad is clear that restaurants don’t run on hype or interiors, they run on people.
“You can have the most beautiful fit-out in the city,” he said, “but if your team isn’t trained and aligned, your guest experience will collapse.”
Swiss Butter invests heavily in pre-opening team development through its Swiss Butter Academy model, which focuses as much on mindset and culture as it does on skills.
“Our training covers everything, from menu communication and service simulations to scenario rehearsals,” Massaad explained. “By the time we open, the team should feel like it’s day 100, not day one.”
4. “Menu Simplicity Wins.”
Swiss Butter’s famously concise menu, just three main items, isn’t a branding gimmick. It’s a philosophy rooted in operational excellence.
“A complicated menu is a recipe for chaos,” Massaad said. “The temptation to launch with an ambitious, broad offering is huge. But early-stage consistency is far more important than variety.”
With a small, focused menu, every member of the kitchen and service team can execute with precision.
“If your team can’t deliver every item on the menu with 100% confidence before opening day, you need to simplify,” he added.
5. “Marketing Needs to Be Realistic, Not Hype-Driven.”
In a region where social media often drives dining trends, Massaad warns against overhyping a launch.
“Big promises and first-day chaos can do long-term damage,” he said. “You only get one chance to make a first impression.”
Instead, Swiss Butter takes a measured, organic approach to marketing.
“We focus on building trust slowly,” Massaad explained. “We target the right local audience first, nearby office workers, residents and deliver consistent experiences quietly at the start. Then we let real guest feedback fuel word of mouth.”
For him, the goal isn’t firework: it’s loyalty. “Not every opening needs a red carpet,” he said. “What you need is trust.”
6. “Local Adaptation Isn’t Optional.”
Even with a globally consistent brand identity, Massaad emphasises that local adaptation is essential.
“No two markets are the same,” he said. “Riyadh diners eat later in the evening, London diners prioritise speed during lunch, and in Madrid, guests prefer a more social, shared atmosphere.”
Each Swiss Butter location adapts elements like layout, seating flow, music volume, and peak staffing to match the local culture, without compromising the brand’s DNA.
“If your plan doesn’t allow for flexibility, you’ll alienate guests before you’ve had a chance to win them,” he added.
Planning for Day 100, Not Day 1
Ultimately, Massaad believes that great openings aren’t defined by hype, but by what happens once the buzz fades.
“Anyone can throw a party on opening night,” he said. “What matters is what happens when the balloons come down.”
For him, success is built on quiet confidence, a trained team, a menu that’s bulletproof, operations that flex under pressure, and a culture that can scale sustainably.
“You’re not just opening a restaurant,” Massaad concluded. “You’re building the foundation for everything that comes next. And every decision you make before day one either protects that foundation or risks it.”
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