We have to flight from London to Beirut to meet and interview Jad Ballout from Electric Bing Sutt.
Thanks Jad, first of all, tell us who you are
I am Jad Ballout, co-owner at Electric Bing Sutt
Could you describe, in short, your bar, its mood and your philosophy of bar?
Electric Bing Sutt is a funky & neon dazzled Asian Middle Eastern all-day bar in the heart of Beirut. Owned by international award-winning bartender Jad Ballout and partners, Electric Bing Sutt is super popular with its innovative cocktails using modern culinary techniques and exotic flavors. Modern Asian Middle Eastern cocktails, authentic Asian food, natural wine, craft coffee together with a touch of New York funk, that’s what sets them apart. Electric Bing Sutt is favored by artists, intellectuals and the creative crowd, and it is no doubt the hippest place in Beirut to enjoy Asian and global subculture with
Electric Bing Sutt
unique drinking and dining experiences.
Shortly after one year since opening, Electric Bing Sutt won The Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa, 2019. No. 46 The World’s 50 Best Bars 2019. Top 10 Best New International Cocktail Bar, Tales of the Cocktails 2019.
Coming to the covid-19 crisis, how did you react humanly, psychologically at the spread of the virus and the consequent lockdown?
Shortly after the announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown, we closed our doors. However, our spirit stayed high. Every day we are doing research at home on new cocktail recipes, new distillate, new dishes for the reopening. We kept ourselves and the team busy by brainstorming on new ideas. We provided every staff full salary for March, and for those who face economic difficulties, we provided food vouchers at local supermarket.
When the re-opening will be announced in your country what you will concretely do? what action will you put into practice?
Jad Ballout
We already reopened at 30% currently. Since Lebanon is facing COVID-19 and a high inflation rate as a result of the lockdown, we had to think creatively how to reduce our cost and offer our customer value and high standard of drinking and dinning experiences. We changed 40% of our menu to focus on house distillate with local ingredient, this will help us to reduce dependence on imported spirits as well as offering seasonal flavours to our customers. In terms of food, we also exchanged imported items to local produce, such as local salmon, local kaffir lime. We are also experimenting with house fermented sriracha sauce to give an extra touch our dishes. Besides, definitely take extra care on hygiene, mask on always, gloves on always, its an importent time to regain consumer confidence in the market.
What do you suggest to those who will be facing the re-opening phase soon?
