Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
Muscat: Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, Muscat recently announced its latest entry into the 12th Annual Caterer Middle East Awards 2021, with the nomination of Youssef Al Abri for the “Restaurant Manager of the Year” category. Established under Caterer Middle East, the largest magazine for catering industry professionals in the Middle East, the annual event celebrates dedicated professionals who make the culinary scene in the Middle East amongst the most exciting in the world.
Youssef was selected among the final ten nominees who got shortlisted from hundreds of submissions for “Restaurant Manager of the Year” award within the Middle East. He is the only individual from the Sultanate across all categories and holds the honour of being the only employee on the final list of nominations from Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the Middle East Region.
Youssef Al Abri started his career at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah as a waiter, 15 years ago, making his way to the top, where he now works as a Restaurant Manager. Over the years, he has progressed and developed the full spectrum of his skillset to introduce the renowned warmth of Omani hospitality into Shangri-La's stellar service record. Youssef continues to achieve milestones through consistent guest engagement, ensuring satisfaction, campaigning innovative initiatives and always going the extra mile to support business requirements.
Commenting on the occasion, René D. Egle, Area General Manager for Shangri-La Resorts in Muscat noted, “Youssef is everything we seek in a Shangri-La ambassador. He brings kindness, originality and creativity to every aspect of the business while elevating the guest experience. Not only is he a seasoned professional but also a talented individual and a gentleman at heart. Even during these unprecedented times, Youssef worked effectively and diligently to meet and exceed his targets. We offer our heartiest congratulations to Youssef on this well-deserved nomination and we wish him all the best at the awards’ ceremony.”
“Out of 210 Omani colleagues at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, Youssef was one of the 30 top talents who were chosen to take part of our Omani Development Program. The program is designed by professional learning and development experts to help our Omani colleagues grow, acquire external exposure and develop their leadership skills to become leaders of the future. Within just a few months through the program, Youssef got promoted and has succeeded to become one of our key F&B leaders and prominent role models,” René D. Egle added.
Fueled by the desire to do more, Youssef has championed several initiatives that solidify his position as an exemplary leader. The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah team has highlighted his key achievements as increasing his financial performance target from 200% to 400% and introducing safe social experiences like ‘Majlis by the Beach’, where he uplifted the ambience and setup of private dining by the beach. Youssef also drove the initiative to celebrate the hard work and dedication of teachers on Omani Teachers Day, showcasing the hotel as a trendsetter by offering special discounts to teachers and their families, which has driven massive business results.
From his side, Youssef Al Abri said, “I am sincerely humbled by the praise and warmth bestowed upon me. I hope to continue making a difference in the hospitality landscape of the Sultanate with innovation and integrity so that each guest is given a memorable experience. I would also like to thank my supervisors and my team at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah for the opportunities given to me and the relentless support to put my ideas into action. It is truly an honour to be nominated for the Caterer Middle East Awards 2021 and I can not wait to pass my experience and knowledge to develop more Omani colleagues of mine.”
This year has seen the Food and Beverage sector face challenges like it has never had before with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the slow road to recovery starts, the Caterer Middle East Awards strives to bring the region’s culinary community together to celebrate the excellence as well as the resilience that the region’s restaurants exhibit daily.
The Caterer Middle East is the sister magazine for Hotelier Middle East magazine which is the leading destination for hospitality industry professionals covering hotelier news, hospitality news, hotel, and events. Last month, Sarah Khaled, Director of Marketing and Communications for Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah and Shangri-La Al Husn was selected amongst the Top 50 Hotel Marketing Talents in the Middle East and she was the only one on the list from Oman’s hospitality landscape.
