Gastronomy Strategy at Fiba CP: The Future of Commercial Projects with Rahmi Aydın
City-specific, social, and curated. These three concepts define Fiba Commercial Properties' gastronomic approach and also reveal the changing role of food and beverage spaces in commercial projects.
In this installment of Gastrolink's Gastronomy in Commercial Projects interview series, we met with Rahmi Aydın, Deputy General Manager of Leasing and Business Development at Fiba Commercial Properties .
Through Fiba CP's international portfolio, which operates in five countries and has over 800,000 m² of total leasable area, we discussed the contribution of gastronomy to the visitor experience, food court and food hall models, the importance of local brands, new generation consumer habits, and the future of commercial projects.
The Strategic Role of Gastronomy
How does gastronomy play a role in the overall positioning of your shopping mall?
Today, gastronomy is more than just one of the categories included in our projects; it's a crucial part of our answer to the visitor's question, "Why should I come here?"
E-commerce can deliver the product you buy, but it can't offer the same level of interaction, socialization, and shared experiences.
Therefore, we view gastronomy as a strategic element that generates visitor traffic, increases the frequency and length of stay of visits, and strengthens the relationship the project has with the city where it is located.
In our portfolio, we don't evaluate gastronomy concepts solely based on square footage or the number of brands. We focus on how our visitors use our projects at different times of the day and what experiences drive them to return.
How would you describe your shopping mall's gastronomic approach in three words?
City-specific, social, curated.
In every project, we take into account the needs of the city we are in and consumer habits. We adopt a gastronomic approach that brings people together, consciously creates a brand mix, and reflects the character of its location.
How do you think the role of gastronomy in shopping malls has evolved in recent years? Is gastronomy a supporting function or a key positioning element today?
Previously, food and beverage services were seen as a service area complementing shopping. Today, however, in many projects, they are an important and direct part of the positioning.
People are now visiting commercial projects not only to shop, but also to meet, dine, spend time, and have different experiences.
We're talking about spaces where students study together, employees can work remotely or hold business meetings, parents meet up with friends for breakfast after dropping their children off at school, and families gather for dinner.
These usage habits, which developed especially after the pandemic, have now become a permanent part of our daily lives.
However, we don't believe gastronomy alone is sufficient. Strong projects design gastronomy, retail, and entertainment as a holistic visitor experience where they mutually reinforce each other.
Food court or food hall? Which is a more sustainable system for gastronomy strategy in shopping malls?
In our view, sustainability is determined not by the format, but by the right business and organizational model.
Food courts maintain their importance as a fast, accessible structure that supports daily visitor traffic. They are a strong area, particularly in regional projects, that caters to the daily needs of families.
Foodhall, on the other hand, offers a different experience through its brand selection, local flavors, design, and atmosphere.
Therefore, instead of accepting a single format as correct, we believe that hybrid models, which combine the strengths of two approaches depending on the project's location and visitor profile, are more sustainable.
The Gourmet Garden we developed for our Star Mall Shenyang project in China is a successful example of this approach.
We've taken street food beyond the classic fast-food concept and transformed it into a more sophisticated gastronomic experience. We've brought together 28 different concepts with renewed design, seating areas, and atmosphere.
Following this transformation, we achieved a 13% increase in repeat visitor rates. Gourmet Garden has also transformed into a gastronomic destination with its own brand identity.
In your projects, is gastronomy a reason for visitors to choose the shopping mall, or is it a tool that extends the duration of their visit?
Actually, it's both. However, the role of gastronomy changes depending on the time of day and the purpose of the visit.
While weekday lunchtimes increase the frequency and length of visits, evenings and weekends can directly contribute to the popularity of these times.
Especially in our regional projects, we see that restaurant areas are important meeting points for families and groups of friends.
Therefore, we view gastronomy not merely as a function that extends a visit, but as a field that, with the right brand mix and atmosphere, can attract visitors on its own.
If you were designing your shopping mall from scratch today, would you increase the space allocated to gastronomy?
If we were designing a project from scratch today, before increasing the square footage allocated to gastronomy, we would focus on creating a more flexible relationship between these areas and the rest of the project.
Instead of confining food and beverage to a single floor, it's important to spread them out across different experiential areas connected to the street, square, terrace, and exterior facade.
It is necessary to design entrances and areas that can be used outside of the project's main operating hours.
Furthermore, technical infrastructure such as ventilation, hoods, and grease separators should now be planned to adapt to future changes, and this is among the issues that need to be considered in the initial design phase.
Has your F&B (First-in, First-out) ratio changed in the last 3-5 years? If so, why?
In recent years, we have seen an increase in the importance of gastronomy within our portfolio.
This is driven by factors such as strengthening consumer expectations for socialization and experiences, changes in space utilization across certain retail categories, and the direct contribution of gastronomy to visit frequency and length of stay.
Brand Mix and Anchor Approach
What categories do you think should definitely be included in a shopping mall's gastronomy mix? Can you share your top 3 must-have categories?
Three categories stand out for us.
Coffee and bakery/dessert concepts
Areas with high visitor frequency that can generate visitors at different times of the day.
The city's signature
kitchen
Brands that reflect the local character of their city and create a strong link between the project and the city.
Restaurants that offer a dining experience
Concepts that are central to gatherings, celebrations, and time spent together; increasing visitor length and social use.
A balanced combination of these three categories is crucial in creating a strong gastronomic mix.
Do you have an anchor restaurant approach? How would you define anchor?
Yes, there are. But we don't define an anchor restaurant solely by its size or the square footage it uses.
For us, an anchor restaurant is one that, in itself, can be a reason to visit, especially generating traffic in the evenings and on weekends, possesses a strong brand story, and can attract visitors to other brands in its vicinity.
This role is sometimes taken on by a global chain, and sometimes by a strong local brand that has been known in its city for years.
How is the rise of local brands affecting shopping mall designs? Are large chains still a safe haven, or should more space be given to new brands?
Both are necessary, but their roles are different.
Strong chains provide trust and recognition for consumers, while local and emerging brands add differentiation and a sense of belonging to the city to the project.
Especially in gastronomy, a mix of brands that are found everywhere makes it difficult for a project to develop its own unique character.
While we are building a strong foundation with chain brands, we also place importance on adding character to this structure with local and emerging brands.
Short-term rentals, pop-up spaces, and performance-based flexible commercial models are also important tools for integrating new brands into the system.
“Strong chains provide trust and recognition for consumers, while local and emerging brands add differentiation and a sense of belonging to the city to the project.”
How does the presence of Michelin-starred restaurants or chefs in shopping malls affect the positioning of a project? Are such investments sustainable?
Michelin-starred restaurants or strong chef brands can enhance a project's perceived quality, attract new visitors, and increase its visibility.
However, what's truly important here isn't the restaurant's name, but rather whether the concept matches the location and the visitor profile.
The classic fine-dining format may not be sustainable for every event.
In contrast, more accessible bistro concepts bearing the chef's signature, chef spots within food halls, or seasonal collaborations offer more flexible models.
We believe that these types of formats will find more acceptance in the coming period.
Change and the Future
What's the most surprising change you've seen in shopping mall gastronomy over the last three years?
Social media has become a very powerful discovery channel.
Today, a new brand or product can generate significant visitor traffic in a very short time with the right content.
At the same time, we see that while consumers are becoming more selective about price, they continue to spend for a good experience.
This change directly impacts both tenant choices and marketing strategies for commercial projects.
What category do you think is missing in Istanbul shopping malls?
One area where I see significant potential for development in Istanbul is the creation of curated gourmet markets and food halls that better reflect the city's strong gastronomic identity.
I see significant potential in establishments that create space for local producers, young chefs, and emerging brands; places that offer not only dining experiences but also opportunities for discovery and socialization.
In addition, I believe that entertainment concepts that combine food and drinks with games and social activities will continue to grow.
Do you predict that F&B area ratios will increase or decrease in the next 5 years?
We believe that the importance of F&B areas will continue to increase. However, area size will not be the only determining factor.
Due to operating costs, the rent-to-revenue balance, and changing consumer expectations, the efficiency of each square meter, the right brand mix, and how actively the space is used at different times of the day will become even more critical.
Therefore, quality will take precedence over quantity.
Over the next five years, we expect the F&B sector not only to grow but also to constantly transform within itself.
Consumers closely follow innovations and are quite demanding of brands when it comes to reinventing themselves.
We predict that brands that can meet these expectations will grow stronger, while concepts that fail to adapt to the transformation will be replaced by new ones.
Overall Assessment
What do you think is the most important topic that needs to be discussed between the shopping mall and food and beverage (F&B) sectors?
I think the most important topic we need to discuss is how the relationship between commercial project management companies and F&B brands can evolve into a stronger business partnership.
Rent, common area expenses, and energy costs are important for both parties.
In addition, the proper use of visitor data, collaborative marketing and event planning, and business models that can improve performance together will be among the key agendas for the coming period.
Would you like to participate in a closed-door roundtable discussion on this topic?
I would gladly participate.
I believe it is valuable for the sector to discuss these issues with different stakeholders around the same table and create areas for common solutions.
Gastronomy or retail? Which will be stronger in the future?
We view these two fields not as alternatives to each other, but as complementary elements.
Gastronomy enhances visitor traffic and social engagement, while retail deepens the commercial value of that visit.
The powerful commercial projects of the future will be those that conceive of gastronomy, retail, and entertainment not as independent functions, but as parts of a single visitor journey.
What do you think will be the biggest turning point for the industry? What should we be discussing?
I believe the most significant transformation will occur in the definition of commercial project management.
We are now shifting from a structure that simply rents space and manages the building to a more active model that collectively manages visitor experience, data, marketing, and tenant collaborations.
The key to making a difference in the coming period will be being prepared for this transformation with the right skills, a strong data infrastructure, and sustainable business models.
Rahmi Aydın | Deputy General Manager, Leasing and Business Development, Fiba Commercial Properties (Fiba CP) |
Portfolio: | The country has 11 shopping malls, 4 office buildings, 5 residences, 2 cinemas, and 3 hotels. |
Total leasable area: | Over 800,000 m² |
Headquarters: | Istanbul |
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