Latest news with #SwissButter
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Are viral food spots killing off actual restaurants? Hospitality boss complains influencers like Spudman and the Sidemen 'drain attention' from traditional businesses who struggle to compete
It's almost impossible to scroll through social media without being fed clips of viral food spots these days, but the posts might not be as harmless as they seem. The food industry has proven to be a lucrative sidestep for various UK influencers, with the likes of MrBeast and The Sidemen adding restaurants to their roster of businesses. While some influencers turn into restaurateurs and the like after establishing themselves as famous, others go down the opposite path and gain recognition because of their viral food offerings. The most notable examples include the jacket potato connoisseurs, Spudman and Spud Brothers, who have both taken the humble spud and turned it into worldwide fame and fortune. The latter potato entrepreneurs have found so much success that they are now franchising their business across the UK, allowing thousands of fans the opportunity to get their hands on the dish without travelling to the original Preston tram. However, a restaurateur has spoken out about the dangers of TikTok famous spots, and revealed the potentially detrimental consequences that they could have on Britain's food scene. Talking exclusively to Femail, Eddy Massaad, CEO of London steakhouse Swiss Butter, said of viral dishes and restaurants, 'The danger is that they shift expectations - people start valuing novelty over quality. 'When the industry chases clicks instead of connection, hospitality suffers. Viral brands can distort pricing, inflate short-term expectations, and drain attention from businesses built on real craft and care.' Influencer-owned businesses are not only altering customer expectations, but also making it harder for non-famous foodies to start or maintain their businesses, according to Massaad. He said, 'Influencers start with built-in audiences and enormous platforms, while most restaurants are still relying on word of mouth and footfall. 'That means you're not just competing with the restaurant across the street, you're competing with someone who can launch a brand to millions overnight. It's a different playing field, and it's forcing independents to think harder about brand storytelling and digital presence from day one.' Sides by The Sidemen is the perfect example. The group have built a following of over 18 million subscribers by sharing comedy sketches and online challenges since the launch of their channel in 2015. The group, who formed after bonding over their love of Grand Theft Auto, is made of Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji (better known as KSI), Simon Minter, Joshua Bradley, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne, Vikram Barn, and Harry Lewis. After establishing themselves as one of the biggest names on YouTube, The Sidemen launched Sides, their Nashville-style fried chicken business, in 2021, which unsurprisingly found instant success. The group used their platform to create a buzz around the brand and carried out meet-and-greets at Sides locations to bring hordes of young people into their restaurants. Since 2021, Sides has opened five UK locations, launched ranges in Tesco and Iceland, and is set to open its first international restaurant in Singapore. Massad credited the success of restaurants like Sides with the creator's ability to seamlessly combine entertainment with commerce. 'People don't just want to eat the food, they want to be part of the story,' the CEO explained. He continued, 'That said, long-term success depends on more than personality. The novelty might get people in the door, but only quality, consistency, and service will bring them back. The influencers who understand that are the ones who'll last.' And it seems as though The Sidemen are aware that quality triumphs because they have a slew of loyal fans raving over their produce, such as food influencer Lauren Griffiths, @laurenkategriffiths on TikTok, who admitted that she's 'slightly obsessed' with the wings. However, the same apparently can't be said about MrBeast's business associates because he suffered a major hiccup following the launch of MrBeast Burgers. In August 2023, the YouTube megastar sued the company behind his branded line of MrBeast Burgers, demanding it be shut down after customers blasted their meals as 'inedible'. MrBeast, known for his extravagant cash giveaways, filed the lawsuit in New York District Court, accusing Virtual Dining Concepts of damaging his reputation by selling undercooked burgers and cold fries with his name on them. The Florida-based company partnered with the then-25-year-old, real name Jimmy Donaldson, to launch the food-based venture back in 2020, using storefronts of other existing restaurants to cook up the sandwiches. Known as 'ghost kitchens', the concept was initially a hit, with Donaldson successfully parlaying his fame so more than 10,000 lined up for the opening of the first MrBeast Burger location in New Jersey's American Dream shopping centre. It also saw more than a million burgers sold before Donaldson even had the opportunity to advertise them. But since then, the suit claimed that Virtual Dining Concepts had repeatedly damaged the YouTuber's reputation by failing to ensure the burgers' quality, and at times served raw food. However, the mishap hasn't stopped MrBeast from pursuing business in the food industry, and the influencer still has a line of popular chocolate bars, Feastables. Massaad believes that restaurateurs are watching the path taken by the likes of MrBeast - and learning from their mistakes. He said, 'The industry is watching closely. Influencer-led food brands can generate incredible hype in a short amount of time, and that's changing how restaurants think about visibility.' 'But the real test comes after the launch buzz fades. That's when you see who's built something lasting and who's just built a moment.' While the CEO is still navigating the industry changes perpetuated by social media, he remains positive. He concluded, 'If we're smart, we can learn from the hype without being consumed by it. The goal is to create something worth talking about - whether you've got 10 followers or 10 million.'
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swiss Butter rise down to secret steak sauce and Lebanese resilience, says CEO
When Eddy Massaad's original Swiss Butter restaurant was destroyed by the Beirut blast tragedy in August 2020, resilience and a community rebuild saw the steakhouse open again 30 days later. 'We're used to different challenges, especially when we're coming out from Lebanon,' says Massaad. 'We got used to being pragmatic and problem solvers, going through any crisis and coming out positively.' Swiss Butter started its expansion in late 2021, opening 10 restaurants within a year, including its first London location. Now turning over a healthy eight figures, CEO and founder Massaad is aiming for 100 locations within five years of his viral restaurant brand and steak frites sauce dining experience. Read More: 'People said it was impossible but our Holy Moly dips are now selling millions' Massaad had turned to the industry out of necessity. Needing to pay for college tuition to study biochemistry, he began to learn about restaurant management, became a store manager and then started in services as a freelancer. In 2010, he launched his own hospitality management services company. 'The first couple of years were very difficult just to prove myself at the market,' he recalls. 'I landed contracts but there were always insecurities in the service business. If I lost one client, I had to scale down my team.' Massaad drafted a three-pronged strategy — to expand to the Gulf area, find a master franchise for one of his clients and build his own brand. The first two failed, the third saw him set up Swiss Butter. 'If I failed doing that, and this is what I'm supposed to be an expert in, then that would be the end of the road and I would lose credibility in the restaurant business,' he admits today. In 2017, Swiss Butter had launched in Beirut next door to where Massaad attended school. 'We imagined the customer experience and planned it backwards and reverse engineered the whole process," he says of the business plan. With it came their "secret" sauce – which has 33 ingredients, including herbs, spices and butter paste – created by Massaad's chef brother and has become the restaurant's hallmark. 'He had his personal challenge to crack that sauce that is over 100 years old. And once he achieved the result, we used to taste it together, tune and adjust it,' says Massaad. By 2015, Massaad took the recipe on instead of his brother selling and the pair later became restaurant holding partners. 'I was on a mission to remodel one of my client's restaurant model to fit the UK market," adds Massaad, "and I learned a lot about what is required as part of the concept DNA to make it in a big city like London or New York. Read More: 'My £20m juice business started in mum's kitchen with an eBay blender' 'I did the planning in detail and this is where it hit me. I wanted the quick service restaurant efficiency. I planned Swiss Butter to combine both the highest efficiency with the full experience and the value of a full-service restaurant.' Swiss Butter has three mains as its menu: steak, chicken or salmon, with fries and its signature sauce, along with two dessert options. Its success so far highlights a growing consumer shift towards "single-item, high-quality concepts". 'We removed all the anxiety that the customer might encounter during the experience and the journey,' says Massaad. 'The big menu is one of the anxieties that anyone can get when walking into a restaurant. It's like watching Netflix (NFLX) and you took the same amount of time trying to find which movie to start.' The Lebanese entrepreneur says a ''no franchising, no shortcuts' outlook has maintained the restaurant quality and brand experience, while consumer-generated content has been its best form of marketing, with the restaurant garnering high visibility across social media platforms. Maintaining consistency, adds Massaad, is also a daily battle for Swiss Butter and admits entering new markets has also been challenging. Read More: 'Studying chemistry helped me sell millions of oat milk bottles' 'The UK start point wasn't easy. Setting up the business, that was the easy part. Finding a location was difficult as landlords will not accept a new brand coming in from outside.' By hook or by crook, Massaad has overcome the hurdles. Perhaps it's down to a 'pragmatic analytical approach' from his biochemistry days to maintain industry standards. Swiss Butter currently has around 570 employees globally, with its Swiss Butter Academy for food safety standards and succession programme marking Massaad's approach to longevity in the industry. 'That's the big vision,' he says. 'To spread our experience to every major city in the world.' Read more: 'I went to a board meeting days after nearly dying but I soon saw my purpose' Meet the CEO responsible for selling London to the world 'Want to grow an iconic brand? CEOs have to value CMOs as servant leaders'Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swiss Butter rise down to secret steak sauce and Lebanese resilience, says CEO
When Eddy Massaad's original Swiss Butter restaurant was destroyed by the Beirut blast tragedy in August 2020, resilience and a community rebuild saw the steakhouse open again 30 days later. 'We're used to different challenges, especially when we're coming out from Lebanon,' says Massaad. 'We got used to being pragmatic and problem solvers, going through any crisis and coming out positively.' Swiss Butter started its expansion in late 2021, opening 10 restaurants within a year, including its first London location. Now turning over a healthy eight figures, CEO and founder Massaad is aiming for 100 locations within five years of his viral restaurant brand and steak frites sauce dining experience. Read More: 'People said it was impossible but our Holy Moly dips are now selling millions' Massaad had turned to the industry out of necessity. Needing to pay for college tuition to study biochemistry, he began to learn about restaurant management, became a store manager and then started in services as a freelancer. In 2010, he launched his own hospitality management services company. 'The first couple of years were very difficult just to prove myself at the market,' he recalls. 'I landed contracts but there were always insecurities in the service business. If I lost one client, I had to scale down my team.' Massaad drafted a three-pronged strategy — to expand to the Gulf area, find a master franchise for one of his clients and build his own brand. The first two failed, the third saw him set up Swiss Butter. 'If I failed doing that, and this is what I'm supposed to be an expert in, then that would be the end of the road and I would lose credibility in the restaurant business,' he admits today. In 2017, Swiss Butter had launched in Beirut next door to where Massaad attended school. 'We imagined the customer experience and planned it backwards and reverse engineered the whole process," he says of the business plan. With it came their "secret" sauce – which has 33 ingredients, including herbs, spices and butter paste – created by Massaad's chef brother and has become the restaurant's hallmark. 'He had his personal challenge to crack that sauce that is over 100 years old. And once he achieved the result, we used to taste it together, tune and adjust it,' says Massaad. By 2015, Massaad took the recipe on instead of his brother selling and the pair later became restaurant holding partners. 'I was on a mission to remodel one of my client's restaurant model to fit the UK market," adds Massaad, "and I learned a lot about what is required as part of the concept DNA to make it in a big city like London or New York. Read More: 'My £20m juice business started in mum's kitchen with an eBay blender' 'I did the planning in detail and this is where it hit me. I wanted the quick service restaurant efficiency. I planned Swiss Butter to combine both the highest efficiency with the full experience and the value of a full-service restaurant.' Swiss Butter has three mains as its menu: steak, chicken or salmon, with fries and its signature sauce, along with two dessert options. Its success so far highlights a growing consumer shift towards "single-item, high-quality concepts". 'We removed all the anxiety that the customer might encounter during the experience and the journey,' says Massaad. 'The big menu is one of the anxieties that anyone can get when walking into a restaurant. It's like watching Netflix (NFLX) and you took the same amount of time trying to find which movie to start.' The Lebanese entrepreneur says a ''no franchising, no shortcuts' outlook has maintained the restaurant quality and brand experience, while consumer-generated content has been its best form of marketing, with the restaurant garnering high visibility across social media platforms. Maintaining consistency, adds Massaad, is also a daily battle for Swiss Butter and admits entering new markets has also been challenging. Read More: 'Studying chemistry helped me sell millions of oat milk bottles' 'The UK start point wasn't easy. Setting up the business, that was the easy part. Finding a location was difficult as landlords will not accept a new brand coming in from outside.' By hook or by crook, Massaad has overcome the hurdles. Perhaps it's down to a 'pragmatic analytical approach' from his biochemistry days to maintain industry standards. Swiss Butter currently has around 570 employees globally, with its Swiss Butter Academy for food safety standards and succession programme marking Massaad's approach to longevity in the industry. 'That's the big vision,' he says. 'To spread our experience to every major city in the world.' Read more: 'I went to a board meeting days after nearly dying but I soon saw my purpose' Meet the CEO responsible for selling London to the world 'Want to grow an iconic brand? CEOs have to value CMOs as servant leaders'
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swiss Butter rise down to secret steak sauce and Lebanese resilience, says CEO
When Eddy Massaad's original Swiss Butter restaurant was destroyed by the Beirut blast tragedy in August 2020, resilience and a community rebuild saw the steakhouse open again 30 days later. 'We're used to different challenges, especially when we're coming out from Lebanon,' says Massaad. 'We got used to being pragmatic and problem solvers, going through any crisis and coming out positively.' Swiss Butter started its expansion in late 2021, opening 10 restaurants within a year, including its first London location. Now turning over a healthy eight figures, CEO and founder Massaad is aiming for 100 locations within five years of his viral restaurant brand and steak frites sauce dining experience. Read More: 'People said it was impossible but our Holy Moly dips are now selling millions' Massaad had turned to the industry out of necessity. Needing to pay for college tuition to study biochemistry, he began to learn about restaurant management, became a store manager and then started in services as a freelancer. In 2010, he launched his own hospitality management services company. 'The first couple of years were very difficult just to prove myself at the market,' he recalls. 'I landed contracts but there were always insecurities in the service business. If I lost one client, I had to scale down my team.' Massaad drafted a three-pronged strategy — to expand to the Gulf area, find a master franchise for one of his clients and build his own brand. The first two failed, the third saw him set up Swiss Butter. 'If I failed doing that, and this is what I'm supposed to be an expert in, then that would be the end of the road and I would lose credibility in the restaurant business,' he admits today. In 2017, Swiss Butter had launched in Beirut next door to where Massaad attended school. 'We imagined the customer experience and planned it backwards and reverse engineered the whole process," he says of the business plan. With it came their "secret" sauce – which has 33 ingredients, including herbs, spices and butter paste – created by Massaad's chef brother and has become the restaurant's hallmark. 'He had his personal challenge to crack that sauce that is over 100 years old. And once he achieved the result, we used to taste it together, tune and adjust it,' says Massaad. By 2015, Massaad took the recipe on instead of his brother selling and the pair later became restaurant holding partners. 'I was on a mission to remodel one of my client's restaurant model to fit the UK market," adds Massaad, "and I learned a lot about what is required as part of the concept DNA to make it in a big city like London or New York. Read More: 'My £20m juice business started in mum's kitchen with an eBay blender' 'I did the planning in detail and this is where it hit me. I wanted the quick service restaurant efficiency. I planned Swiss Butter to combine both the highest efficiency with the full experience and the value of a full-service restaurant.' Swiss Butter has three mains as its menu: steak, chicken or salmon, with fries and its signature sauce, along with two dessert options. Its success so far highlights a growing consumer shift towards "single-item, high-quality concepts". 'We removed all the anxiety that the customer might encounter during the experience and the journey,' says Massaad. 'The big menu is one of the anxieties that anyone can get when walking into a restaurant. It's like watching Netflix (NFLX) and you took the same amount of time trying to find which movie to start.' The Lebanese entrepreneur says a ''no franchising, no shortcuts' outlook has maintained the restaurant quality and brand experience, while consumer-generated content has been its best form of marketing, with the restaurant garnering high visibility across social media platforms. Maintaining consistency, adds Massaad, is also a daily battle for Swiss Butter and admits entering new markets has also been challenging. Read More: 'Studying chemistry helped me sell millions of oat milk bottles' 'The UK start point wasn't easy. Setting up the business, that was the easy part. Finding a location was difficult as landlords will not accept a new brand coming in from outside.' By hook or by crook, Massaad has overcome the hurdles. Perhaps it's down to a 'pragmatic analytical approach' from his biochemistry days to maintain industry standards. Swiss Butter currently has around 570 employees globally, with its Swiss Butter Academy for food safety standards and succession programme marking Massaad's approach to longevity in the industry. 'That's the big vision,' he says. 'To spread our experience to every major city in the world.' Read more: 'I went to a board meeting days after nearly dying but I soon saw my purpose' Meet the CEO responsible for selling London to the world 'Want to grow an iconic brand? CEOs have to value CMOs as servant leaders'Sign in to access your portfolio
