ICD Brookfield Place, the new 1.1 million sq ft office and retail complex in Dubai, has announced the signing of a pre-let agreement with one of the emirate’s leading food and beverage companies to open a dining and entertainment destination.

Bull&Roo Hospitality Investments will launch a 15,000 sq ft concept in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) housing eight home-grown brands.

The Guild, opening in 2021, takes inspiration from a medieval association of craftsman and merchants and will be home to a dining experience like no other currently on offer in Dubai, the company said in a statement.

Each brand will have a talented chef at the helm, ensuring that food quality, high-end produce and traceability are continuously at the heart of the project, it added.

With over four acres of curated dining, retail and community space including a vibrant public realm enlivened with public arts and events along with an exclusive private member’s club, The Arts Club from London, ICD Brookfield, which opened last month, aims to become one of the most prominent business and lifestyle destinations of the region.

“Innovative and exciting concepts are key ingredients in successful placemaking. With a long-held aspiration to be more than just a great place to work, we have carefully curated all elements of the project’s ecosystem to address the full spectrum of people’s daily lives. We are thrilled to partner with Bull&Roo to create a truly unique culinary destination that can only be experienced at ICD Brookfield Place,” said Ben McGregor, investment director of ICD Brookfield.

Tom Arnel, managing director Bull&Roo Hospitality and Investments, added: “The Guild is my dream project; I’ve been building up to this my entire career and I can’t wait to see it come to life at ICD Brookfield Place. This is game time for Bull&Roo, giving us the chance to showcase the talent and innovation behind our brand. We are creating a new dining concept, unlike any other in Dubai and the team is gearing up to launch an all-encompassing experience.”

ICD Brookfield Place opened in September and welcomed its first wave of tenants, including Julius Baer, Natixis, Latham & Watkins, and Akin Gump.

EY, the building’s anchor tenant, said it expects to move into the property in October, while an Arts Club, a chef-driven food hall, health and fitness club, and a community hub, will open later this year.

The opening comes as companies continue to debate the pros and cons of employees working from home in a post-Covid world.

The increased demand for flexible offices, and the growth in remote working, may have been trends that pre-dated the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, but their influence has certainly been exacerbated by it.

Throw into the mix the requirements for social distancing and other restrictions and it is clear the traditional office set-up as we knew it, prior to Covid-19, could well be a thing of the past.