(Credit: Photo provided by the restaurant)
Retail Management Initiatives (RMI), the group behind venues including The Malt Gallery, inaugurated Lumi on June 14, a beach club at the Capo Hotel entrance in Batroun. The project involved an investment of around $350,000, financed by the company, which hopes to recoup the amount within two years, provided economic conditions improve.
"If the season had started normally, we probably would have been able to recover most of our investment this year," said RMI CEO Anthony Massoud. "But expatriates arrived later than expected, so we will likely have to wait until next season to reach this goal."
The club operates under a lease agreement with Capo Hotel, which owns the property. RMI pays rent and manages the entire space under Lumi, a new brand separate from its other concepts.
A new concept rather than a version of The Malt Gallery Experience
Lumi was launched after Capo approached RMI when the previous operator left. While the hotel initially wanted a beach version of The Malt Gallery Experience, RMI opted to develop an entirely new identity.
“The Malt Gallery Experience is an urban brand. We felt it wasn’t right for a beach environment,” Massoud said. “So we envisioned a genuine beach club, inspired by those found in Greece or Ibiza.”
The site was redesigned from an existing but outdated setup. Renovations included refurbishing the facilities, creating new access to the sea and adding a wooden deck with additional lounge chairs overlooking the coast.
The venue employs around 50 people and offers several services: a beach with pools and lounge chairs, open daily from 11 a.m.; a nearly 100-seat restaurant serving lunch and dinner; a bar dedicated to late-afternoon sunsets; Saturday evening parties; and live concerts every Sunday.
According to RMI, the venue can accommodate up to 400 visitors a day across its beach, sunset and dining operations.
A Mediterranean culinary offering
The restaurant is one of the project’s main pillars and already accounts for around 40% of Lumi’s turnover, according to Massoud. The menu, developed by the group’s executive chef, features around 40 dishes inspired by cuisines popular with Lebanese summer crowds.
“We selected the best of Spanish, Italian, Greek, Lebanese and southern French cuisines to create a varied yet coherent menu,” Massoud said. The offerings include hot and cold starters, pasta, paellas, grilled meats, fish dishes and desserts centered on ice cream and sundaes. The average restaurant bill ranges from $70 to $80 per person, including alcoholic drinks, while a more upscale experience can cost around $100.
A season still marked by uncertainties
Like many businesses in the sector, RMI says the 2026 summer season remains affected by the tense regional environment.
“Many Lebanese living in the Gulf are currently more cautious about their spending because of uncertainty over their professional situation,” Massoud said.
Despite the challenges, the group said it was satisfied with the results recorded since the second half of July. It plans to conduct a full initial assessment in mid-September before considering further expansion.
