[ Insights ]
Do You Need a Broker to Open a Restaurant in Dubai?
September 15, 2026 · By Andres Aguilar-Aguila Loustaunau
Short answer: you can open a restaurant in Dubai using a commercial broker, but it helps to understand who that broker actually works for. A broker is paid by the landlord to fill space. If you want someone on your side of the table, negotiating the lease in your favour and staying accountable through opening, that is a tenant-side advisor, and it is a different job. Here is the difference, and how to decide which you need.
What a commercial broker does
A commercial real estate broker markets and leases space for landlords. Their fee is a commission the landlord pays when a lease is signed, so their incentive is to close a deal and fill the unit. Good brokers know the market and can show you what is available. But their loyalty sits with the party who pays them, and that is not you.
What a tenant-side advisor does differently
A tenant-side advisor works only for the founder opening the venue. Instead of filling a particular landlord's space, the advisor starts from your concept, budget and target districts, sources sites that fit, and negotiates the commercial terms on your behalf. The advisor is accountable to how your venue performs, not to whether one lease gets signed.
Broker vs tenant-side advisor
- •Paid by the landlord, versus paid by you.
- •Fills a specific space, versus finds the right space for your concept.
- •Incentive to close, versus incentive to protect your P&L.
- •Steps back at signature, versus stays through fit-out and opening.
- •Will push you to sign, versus will tell you to walk away.
The terms that actually decide your P&L
Most founders focus on the headline rent. The terms around it are what quietly make or break a venue: the rent-free fit-out period, which can be worth hundreds of thousands of dirhams; the annual rent escalation, and whether it is capped; exclusivity, which decides whether a direct competitor can open next door; and a break clause, your right to exit if the site underperforms. A broker representing the landlord has little reason to fight hard for these. A tenant-side advisor does.
So, do you need one?
If you are taking a small, simple unit and you know the market well, a broker may be all you need. But if you are investing serious money in a concept, entering Dubai for the first time, or expanding across several sites, the terms you sign will follow you for years. That is where independent, tenant-side advice pays for itself. Across recent deals we have negotiated leases at an average of around 20% below the asking rate, which on a single restaurant lease can outweigh the cost of the advice many times over.
How Arion works
Arion Group is a tenant-side location and lease advisory firm in Dubai. We work only for the founder, from site selection through commercial negotiation and the move to opening. We have secured more than 30,000 sqft of prime Dubai space for restaurant, retail and wellness brands, and we stay accountable past the signature.
FAQ
Is a broker free?+
A broker costs you nothing directly because the landlord pays their commission. That is also the catch: they work for whoever pays them.
Can Arion negotiate a lease I have already found?+
Yes. If you have a site in mind, we can assess it and negotiate the terms tenant-side.
Do you only work with restaurants?+
No. We work with restaurant, retail and wellness brands across Dubai.