AYC Network launches dine-in commerce media on Dubai restaurant tables.
Dubai-based AYC Network has launched a commerce media network for dine-in venues, linking independent cafés, restaurants, bars and regional chains through tabletop displays called AYC Frames. The company calls it one of the region's first such networks.
A Frame stays on the table for the whole visit. Guests can already use it to browse menus, place orders, call for service, connect to Wi-Fi and leave reviews. Payments and brand placements inside those interactions are planned next, according to Campaign Middle East.
The network currently has 130 tables across live and signed locations in Dubai, including venues belonging to hospitality groups. AYC plans to reach around 600 active tables in high-dwell venues by mid-2027. Co-founder and CEO Aman Malik said the pitch is access to guests when they are seated, relaxed and ready to spend. Co-founder and COO Ridhima Gupta said no one has been speaking to guests at the table until now.
For advertisers, AYC is selling an aggregate audience across venues that would each offer a small footprint, and says that can match the reach of the region's largest restaurant chains. It also says interactions are measured action by action. The company is incorporated under the Dubai Development Authority through the in5 Media incubator.
These are the company's own claims and plans. Ad formats, pricing, measurement partners and named venues or brands are not given, and brand placements are not yet live. 130 tables is small against a 600-table goal, so reach claims are untested. Gulf retailers and food brands exploring commerce media will want to see delivered numbers first.
Why it matters
Retail media is moving from shelves to restaurant tables in Dubai, but the network is small, its ad features are not live and its reach claims are the company's own.
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