ShareBy Arwa Al-Sahli
KUWAIT: Italian, Lebanese, Japanese, Mexican—the number of cuisines available in the nation of Kuwait are endless. On every street corner and shopping mall, it is an impossibility to not be able to find a restaurant decorated in bright, vibrant colors and fluorescent lights. However, one must ask: Is it too much? Have food-based businesses taken over our country, both economically and culturally?
When speaking with the population, it was found that most, regardless of age, believed that there are indeed a staggering number of restaurants. Mohamed Akram, aged 22, expressed shock at how near his previous workplace, “there was a row of burger joints, all tasting the same”. Whether all these restaurants share similar ‘tastes’ and similar interior designs was up for debate. Most youths and teenagers believed that these restaurants differed from each other, while older adults felt indifferent to the topic as a whole, many citing that they did not eat at restaurants and mostly consumed food made in their own home.
It is apparent that ‘trendy’, Kuwaiti-owned restaurant’s success comes from the demand of activities to partake in a small country, and the convenience of being able to find food wherever you are. Yousef Khalid Al-Othman, aged 18, explained that the food business is the “driving force of Kuwait” and is “the first thing you think to do with friends”.
Another youth, Yara, aged 19, stated that “it is more frequent that you will want something as convenient as food quickly.” Furthermore, those who regularly ate at restaurants agreed that online influencers and advertisements speaking of new restaurants would persuade them to visit and order from them, showing that the success of such businesses comes from a distinct visual ‘look and feel’.
Although some believe that there are “too many” restaurants in Kuwait, there are some positives that appear with such an amount. The food industry brings much economic prosperity to Kuwait, bringing in almost one hundred million Kuwaiti Dinars in 2022 according to Statista, and offers many people living in Kuwait not only job experience, but also experience in entrepreneurship and owning a business. Such experience is beneficial to young adults, as it allows them to be able to learn the intricate of being a business owner and can give them knowledge that can last a lifetime.
However, there are certainly some negatives to mention as well. The rise of the restaurant industry can be linked to the high and rising rates of obesity and diabetes in Kuwait. Currently, Kuwait is the most obese country in the world, with 39.7% of the population being classified as obese, and 24.9% of the population being diagnosed with diabetes, both according to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).
With most popular restaurants in Kuwait serving fast food, such as burgers, it is not unlikely to assume that there is a connection between the number of restaurants in Kuwait to the number of diabetics. Additionally, parts of the population expressed an annoyance about how many of these restaurants served similar menu items, expressing that the market feels “oversaturated” and “boring”.
In conclusion, no one can deny that there are an astonishing number of restaurants and food-based businesses in Kuwait. It is something that cannot be categorized as simply ‘good’ or simply ‘bad’, as each person living in Kuwait sees this topic differently. Some are annoyed, seeing clones and clones of ideas along the street, wishing for a reduction. Others welcome this prevalence, excited to spend time with loved ones eating beloved food. Whatever one’s own opinion is, one thing remains to be: The cuisines of the world—American, Korean, Indian, and more—will always be readily available to the population of Kuwait, wherever one may be.
