One Off: gourmet Gou in Beirut

One Off: independent retail design

Frustration brought about by not finding innovative food products in the Middle East was the seed in the creation of Gou.

Modular interior design

It was set up in 2006 by Osama el Kaoukji and partners Patricia Kebbe and Nicha Sursock, drawing on their backgrounds in marketing and food management.

The aim was to bring imaginative food dishes in good-looking packaging to Lebanon.

The first store was opened in an affluent area of Beirut, occupied by designer boutiques, art galleries and outdoor cafes.

“We look for the hottest products from around the world with exotic flavours and innovative packaging designs, and are the first to introduce those to Middle Eastern markets,” says Kebbe.

“We’re after food “collections”, which change with the flow of seasons and conjure a novel experience, a culinary excursion, or a sensory revelation.”

A novel food experience

The product offer is certainly novel comprising red rice from Bhutan; Tibetan Monks’ secret tea; Peruvian Inca Inchi oil; strawberry, mint and pepper jam; comfit of lavender and jasmine; and dark chocolate with wasabi, ginger and sesame seeds.

“We are more about a fashionable food boutique than an ordinary deli shop,” explains Kebbe.

Fashionable food boutique

The store was designed by a local architect but with input from all three founders on the overall concept.

The aim was to create an open store based on a cost-effective, modifiable and durable display system.

Because Gou outlets will always be located in the main hall areas of upmarket shopping malls, close to fashion and jewellery boutiques, the structure was designed in a square format with all four sides open to public access.

The modular interior design means the store layout can be adapted to different size formats.

Format can be adapted to different store sizes

Additionally, it has a flat-pack construction so the whole system can be dismantled and packed in custom-made boxes for eventual shipping to other markets.

Gou’s founders are targeting sites in Kuwait, Dubai and Cairo as the first phase of expansion followed by Japan and the US.

One Off by Clare Dowdy is published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd and priced at £30. To order a copy, visit www.laurenceking.co.uk