The Menu:An interview with SupperClub Founder Mehreen Omar

The brainchild of two female entrepreneurs, Mehreen Omar and Muna Mustafa, SupperClub is a platform that offers its members access to luxurious experiences and addresses from five-star hotels to elite restaurants, beach clubs and spas at a highly preferential rate. How does SupperClub differ from existing discount platforms? The focus here is on the human experience. Discretion, ease and accessibility underpin everything. 

 We speak to one-half of the team, Mehreen Omar at her home in Palm Jumeirah, to discover how a shift in social attitudes and a shared desire for affordable yet elevated living have contributed to the success of her SupperClub.

Mehreen: I was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, and after completing my BA in economics and statistics, I started my career at Nestle as a Systems Analyst. I later worked as a Regional Sales Manager at Standard Chartered Bank. With the global financial crisis of 2008, I decided to move away from banking and pivoted back to the technology sector where I first worked at Bayt.com as a Senior Enterprise Relationship Manager and subsequently with Groupon, where I was Head of Sales for UAE prior to leaving in 2014. 

I’ve had a passion for technology from the very start, it’s served me well throughout my career and enabled me to commence my entrepreneurial journey. It was during my time at Groupon that I met the person that I would establish SupperClub with, Muna, - we knew even in those days that we would eventually work together to establish our own company. I must say that developing a business from scratch has been both challenging and at the same time immensely gratifying. 

I’m the co-founder of an online membership-based discount platform called SupperClub. The concept came about following my realisation that there was a gap in the market. While there have been several successful discount platforms over the years the systems and structures surrounding these programmes failed to address the social needs of the client i.e that people want to avail their discounts in a discreet manner; they want everything to be seamless.

SupperClub was launched in November 2020. Our aim was to break the mold and provide members with a single membership with no limitations, giving access to luxury restaurants, hotels, spas, pools, and much more – all at exceptional rates. SupperClub offers three types of membership; Gold, Diamond, and Platinum, each providing access to over 170 offers with over 30 participating hotels, primarily focused in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the majority of which are exclusive to SupperClub.

Mehreen: The pandemic has contributed to a climate where social attitudes towards such concepts have shifted. Discount platforms were already successful in the pre-pandemic world but there was a stigma attached to them. We have been able to marry a shared social desire to save money while still being social with high-end restaurants and concepts.

SupperClub members book 5-star experiences on the SupperClub site. Once the member arrives at the venue, no coupon or voucher is required; the member can simply give their name and they will be expected and welcomed. 

Another key feature of our platform is that when a SupperClub member books for guests the discount applies to every single person. Imagine a table of ten, with only one person being a SupperClub member yet the discount is given to the entire group. When the bill arrives, the SupperClub discounted price is automatically applied to the bill without a discussion, this results in the smooth and discreet experience that our clients have been craving.

Some of SupperClub’s current five-star venues include the likes of Jumeirah Al Qasr, Emirates Palace, Ritz Carlton, Conrad, Anantara, JW Marriott Marquis, Fairmont, and Sofitel. There are some exciting new hotel additions coming soon.

When I’m not working I take some downtime at Jumeirah Al Qasr or head to my favourite eateries that include Tong Thai at JW Marriott and the afternoon tea at Fairmont The Palm. 

I think Dubai has so many hidden gems but one of my favourites is the shooting range at Jebel Ali. I’d also recommend that visitors to the city and even long-time residents flip their perspectives and see the city from above by taking a helicopter tour - it's just fantastic!