- Korea Town strengthens its position as a leading destination for Korean beauty in the region
- Opening at The Avenues marks a strategic milestone in Korea Town's regional expansion journey
- Hasan: Adding 22 new Korean brands during Q1 2026 reflects our commitment to growth and innovation
- Hasan: Boutiqaat's investment in Korea Town is accelerating expansion plans across the GCC
- Hasan: We remain focused on building strategic relationships with leading Korean brands, offering 250+ Korean brands
KUWAIT CITY, June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new step that reflects its accelerating expansion strategy across the region, Korea Town by Boutiqaat announced the opening of its eighth store at The Avenues, a leading retail destination in the Middle East. The launch marks a significant milestone in the brand's vision to strengthen its presence in the K-beauty sector and expand its reach across regional markets.
The opening ceremony welcomed officials and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait, alongside influencers and beauty enthusiasts, reflecting the growing connection between K-beauty and Gulf consumers. The launch also aligns with Boutiqaat's investment strategy to position Korea Town as a leading regional destination for K-beauty and lifestyle products through strategic partnerships across the GCC.
Souha Hasan, General Manager at Korea Town, stated that the launch of the new store represents a strategic move aligned with the company's growth objectives and commitment to reaching wider customer segments across the region.
She said: "Opening at The Avenues is a major milestone in our expansion journey and reflects growing demand for K-beauty products across Gulf markets. Through Boutiqaat's investment in Korea Town, we are accelerating our growth plans and preparing for expansion."
Hasan added that Korea Town remains focused on building strategic relationships with leading K-beauty brands, enabling it to deliver a portfolio tailored to consumer preferences.
She also revealed that Korea Town achieved key milestones during Q1 of 2026, including the addition of 22 new Korean brands to its portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to bringing K-beauty innovations to the region.
Today, Korea Town offers more than 250 Korean brands across skincare, makeup, haircare, body care, and lifestyle categories, positioning it as one of the largest specialized K-beauty destinations in the region.
The company confirmed that its next phase will focus on expanding into Gulf markets, supported by strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening its regional footprint.
CONTACT: kt.distribution@boutiqaat.com
KUWAIT CITY, June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new step that reflects its accelerating expansion strategy across the region, Korea Town by Boutiqaat announced the opening of its eighth store at The Avenues, a leading retail destination in the Middle East. The launch marks a significant milestone in the brand's vision to strengthen its presence in the K-beauty sector and expand its reach across regional markets.
The opening ceremony welcomed officials and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait, alongside influencers and beauty enthusiasts, reflecting the growing connection between K-beauty and Gulf consumers. The launch also aligns with Boutiqaat's investment strategy to position Korea Town as a leading regional destination for K-beauty and lifestyle products through strategic partnerships across the GCC.
Souha Hasan, General Manager at Korea Town, stated that the launch of the new store represents a strategic move aligned with the company's growth objectives and commitment to reaching wider customer segments across the region.
She said: "Opening at The Avenues is a major milestone in our expansion journey and reflects growing demand for K-beauty products across Gulf markets. Through Boutiqaat's investment in Korea Town, we are accelerating our growth plans and preparing for expansion."
Hasan added that Korea Town remains focused on building strategic relationships with leading K-beauty brands, enabling it to deliver a portfolio tailored to consumer preferences.
She also revealed that Korea Town achieved key milestones during Q1 of 2026, including the addition of 22 new Korean brands to its portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to bringing K-beauty innovations to the region.
Today, Korea Town offers more than 250 Korean brands across skincare, makeup, haircare, body care, and lifestyle categories, positioning it as one of the largest specialized K-beauty destinations in the region.
The company confirmed that its next phase will focus on expanding into Gulf markets, supported by strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening its regional footprint.
CONTACT: kt.distribution@boutiqaat.com
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Korea Town by Boutiqaat Launches Its Eighth Store at The Avenues Mall, Reinforcing Regional Growth Strategy
Local cuisine emerges as the region's strongest dining force, as traditional restaurant settings give way to fluid, social spaces
SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International has unveiled Future of Food 2027, its latest report exploring food and beverage trends across Asia Pacific excluding China. Drawing on conversations with leading chefs, hospitality experts and regional influencers, alongside insights from Marriott International properties across the region, the report reveals a pivotal transformation: the rise of place. As dining breaks free from traditional restaurant boundaries into fluid, social formats, diners increasingly seek experiences that are hyper-local, authentic and deeply connected to their destination.
Across Asia Pacific excluding China, diners are increasingly seeking authenticity and connection. Demand for authentic local signature dishes is surging, with 95% of surveyed properties identifying this as the biggest trend in their market. At the same time, dining is no longer confined to the traditional restaurant setting. Guests are gathering across bars, lounges, counters and flexible spaces, turning hotels into social and cultural hubs where guests move fluidly throughout the day. The result is a new era of dining where the story behind what people eat and where they eat matters more than ever.
"Across Asia Pacific, we're witnessing a shift toward intimate, locally-rooted experiences, where smaller, intentional spaces replace traditional formal dining models," said Petr Raba, Vice President of Food & Beverage, Marriott International, Asia Pacific excluding China. "Hotels are becoming cultural storytellers, embedding regional talent, locally sourced ingredients and authentic connection into every aspect of the dining experience to create spaces that feel distinctly of their place."
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Food
- The Spatial Shift
Dining is moving beyond the traditional restaurant model as guests increasingly lean toward more flexible, social and experience-led spaces. Across Asia Pacific excluding China, nearly half of the surveyed properties report a growing demand for casual venues such as lounges, bars and outdoor settings, while emerging concepts are embracing intimate 40 to 60-seat footprints with distinct identities. In Vietnam, 71% of surveyed properties report growth in bar and lounge dining, reflecting the growing appeal of more fluid dining experiences. An invisible layer of technology is supporting this shift, with AI enhancing everything from menu development and marketing to staffing and guest insights, allowing teams to focus on delivering more personalized hospitality. 100% of restaurants and bars surveyed in Thailand are already using AI in their operations. - The Local Advantage
Local cuisine has become the defining force shaping dining decisions across the region. Demand for authentic local signature dishes is now the strongest trend identified by 95% of the surveyed properties and outweighing value for money when guests choose where to dine. Hotels are responding by building menus around ingredients and stories rooted in their destinations. At Hearth at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, for example, a signature dish featuring local Wagin duck showcases Western Australia's produce while reflecting the restaurant's seasonal, locally driven philosophy. Over the past year, four in five properties have introduced new local ingredients from Kyoto vegetables in Japan to Kampot sea salt in Cambodia-inspired menus and indigenous spices across Southeast Asia, while nearly three-quarters report local ingredients appearing more frequently in beverage menus. This trend is particularly pronounced in India and Indonesia, where demand for local signature cuisine reaches 71% and 67% respectively, highlighting a growing desire for dining experiences that tell the story of a destination. - 99-Minute Fine Dining
Fine dining is undergoing a temporal revolution with up to five memorable courses delivered in under two hours, replacing four-hour tasting menus with ten-plus courses. Across the region, 58% of properties report that the average fine dining experiences last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Singapore has emerged as one of the region's fastest-paced fine dining markets with 85% of restaurants reporting an average time of 1.5 hours. Restaurants are adapting by simplifying menus, introducing more a la carte options and focusing on standout moments over the number of courses. In South Korea, one in five establishments have already reduced the number of courses served, while 30% of fine-dining restaurants in the Philippines have introduced a la carte menus. Australia sees both fewer courses and shorter service times, with the conversation shifting toward "wow moments" rather than course quantity.
Additional Report Highlights:
- Eat Well, Eating Your Age: Wellness has become a core dining consideration, with ingredients rooted in Asia Pacific's rich food traditions finding renewed relevance among modern travelers. Today, 97% of surveyed Marriott International properties in Asia Pacific excluding China serve dishes associated with health and longevity, while wellness increasingly extends beyond the plate to healthier mini-bars and wellness-focused turndown experiences.
- The Modern Menu: Across Asia Pacific, menus are becoming more expressive and multi-sensory, with texture rising alongside flavor as a defining element of the dining experience. At the same time, plant-forward dining is accelerating, prompting Marriott International to introduce its APEC Plant-Forward Program across the region in 2027, making it one of the first major global hotel groups to integrate plant-forward dining into its operational foundation permanently.
- Alcohol Alternatives: The low- and no-alcohol movement has evolved from niche trend to hospitality mainstay, with 42% of Marriott International restaurants and bars surveyed in Asia Pacific excluding China reporting increased sales of non-alcoholic beverages. From premium spirits to alcohol-free pairings, guests are increasingly seeking sophisticated alternatives without compromise.
Looking Ahead
Asia Pacific's F&B landscape is fundamentally shifting toward authenticity and intentionality. Hotels and restaurants thriving in 2027 are those that understand their place deeply - its ingredients, culture, people and design experiences around that foundation. They are creating smaller, more distinctive spaces where technology elevates genuine hospitality, while telling stories that connect guests emotionally to destination and cuisine. The result is a regional dining scene that feels less like a global template adaptation and more like a collection of distinctive, culturally rooted experiences.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of compelling brands across luxury, premium, select, midscale, extended stay, and all-inclusive, with over 10,000 properties in 148 countries and territories, as of June 30, 2026. Marriott franchises, operates, and licenses hotel, residential, timeshare, yacht, outdoor, and other lodging products all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel platform. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram.
Download the full Future of Food 2027 reporthere to explore the complete trends shaping Asia Pacific's culinary future.
Access high-resolution images and media assets here.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
THE RISE OF PLACE: MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL REVEALS ASIA PACIFIC'S FUTURE OF FOOD
