Time Hotels expands its restaurant management business by opening its second O’Learys US sports-themed restaurant on 20 September 2016. The move marks TIME’s first O’Learys franchise in Dubai, following the launch of its debut outlet at Fujairah Mall in January 2016 – the company’s first ever non-hotel product.
Original Boston sports-themed restaurant opens for business on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite Noor Bank metro station. The casual dining restaurant will have 250 seats spanning six different areas, including an outdoor terrace, dedicated shisha area and bar.
“Sport is all-inclusive, it brings together people of all ages and cultures and following the success of our first O’Learys outlet at Fujairah Mall, we are delighted to open our first restaurant in Dubai, alongside what is undoubtedly one of the city’s busiest roads – Sheikh Zayed Road, which affords high visibility for the O’Learys brand as well as a great opportunity for casual diners passing by,” said Mohammad Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels.
The 596-square-metre restaurant O’Learys in Dubai is set to become a popular venue with an appetising menu of classic burgers, signature buffalo wings, cheesy quesadillas, ribs, nachos and desserts complemented by an extensive collection of non-alcoholic cocktails and soft beverages.
For followers of the ‘big game’, a host of global sporting events await patrons of the newly opened restaurant, with an impressive collection of 21, 55 and three 60-inch television screens. Soccer fans will be spoilt for choice as the qualifiers for the European Championship finals get under way and the Champion League group stages kick-off. The UAE’s burgeoning golf market will be on the edge of their seat at the end of September as America try to prise the Ryder Cup from Europe.
F1 aficionados have a number of races to look forward to, all of which culminate in the crowing of the champion at the Abu Dhabi circuit in November. Tennis supporters will revel in the ATP World Tour Finals in London while the Southern and Northern Hemisphere go head-to-head in a series of rugby union matches, much to the delight of the games’ supporters.
The venue will cater to kids large and small with a number arcade games featuring pinball, Pac-Man, Transformers and gaming hoops, as well as foosball and air hockey.
The interior design is based on the famous colours of Boston sports teams – a combination of deep green, burgundy red and dark brown. Walls are covered with a wide selection of sporting and Boston-themed memorabilia.
“It’s the perfect stop-off point, for a quick drink and bite to eat after work, a weekend family gathering, to catch a EPL football game or F1 race, or maybe just to enjoy the honest-to-goodness flavour of classic US diner-style food. That combination has universal appeal and O’Learys’ unique concept sits comfortably within that widespread casual dining market,” added Awadalla.
With a 2014 global turnover of US$186 million O’Learys is primarily located in high street locations, shopping malls and at popular travel locations around the world. The current tally of O’Learys’ restaurants worldwide totals 120 outlets in ten countries spread across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In the UAE, TIME operate the 275-square metre, 163-cover O’Learys at Fujairah Mall, which is linked to an indoor karting area and laser shooting gallery covering some 2,240-square metres. There is also an outlet situated in Abu Dhabi International Airport.
O’Learys was founded by Jonas Reinholdsson, a Swedish restaurateur who worked on the island of Nantucket, located south of Boston, Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s. He was inspired by Bostonian restaurants where people came to watch games and share their passion for sports, which he subsequently brought back to Sweden where he founded the first O’Learys in 1988 in Gothenburg.
Named after his wife, Anne O’Leary, it was an immediate success, becoming a preferred casual dining venue for the community, visiting tourists and both local and international sports and entertainment celebrities.
