MBT Restaurant Management LLC was born just a few months before the pandemic with ambitious and innovative F&B concepts for the UAE hospitality sector.
We aim to be the benchmark for home-grown concepts and to make a significant impact on the hospitality sector in the UAE. We want to offer a wonderful culinary experience and have our diners look beyond hotel restaurants and recognize our stand-alone concepts as the new paradigm in refined dining.
While starting the construction of our first project “Beirut Sur Mer”, the lockdown was enforced worldwide and the hospitality sector took one of the biggest hits. Many ventures had to close down, others accepted that the turnover they were used to will no longer exist. With news changing daily and an uncertain future, working in the hospitality industry was chaotic at best.
At MBT management we were forced to make a tough decision. Do we freeze all our projects, or do we brave ahead with our plans? We thought about food and how it was a necessity. How it offered comfort and community. People may stop buying luxury goods and traveling but they will never stop eating. Our philosophy is, no matter what, there will always be a basic human instinct for socializing. We forged ahead and took major precautions to ensure everyone around us was safe and continued with our dream.
We launched “Beirut Sur Mer”, our first stand-alone restaurant in Mamsha, Saadiyat on December 24, 2020. It was a soft launch with no marketing or advertising efforts. We wanted to assess the “concept” and gauge what our efforts would look like in the middle of the pandemic and social distancing. The restaurant has taken Abu Dhabi by storm and the outcome has exceeded our expectations.
“Our formula is a collaboration of so many experiences: beautiful spaces (both with the location and design), delicious food, and most importantly the experience we create for our guests. We know this is what will linger in their minds and hearts, and MBT RM’s team are all united in this vision.
The outcome of our perseverance was rewarding and has been reflected through the feedback of our diners. They described the dining experience as unique and expressed their gratitude for a place that brings happiness, cheerfulness and positivity amidst the current conditions. This was such an important achievement for the team at MBT Restaurant Management and confirmed that forging ahead with our plans was absolutely the right decision. To that end - we would also like to extend our appreciation to "WA International" for realizing our vision for the concept and for their creative works and professional handling of our designs.
MBT Restaurant Management is forging ahead amidst the global pandemic and is leading the way for home-grown concepts, we are so glad to announce that we will be launching ten new concepts in the UAE by the end of the year. Our ambitious concepts are also making their way beyond the UAE, we have plans to expand in the Middle East and the GCC within the next three years” Niveen Ibrahim, COO at MBT Development (MBT’s mother group) and Executive Director of MBT Restaurant Management
Niveen also added that; you can't create successful and creative food concepts without having the right professionals It’s all about developing and integrating unique culinary concepts that fit the look and feel of our vision.
“Niveen & I work hand in hand in creating the concepts; she has a vision for the feel of the concepts. I create a culinary concept that brings the vision into a reality. We faced several challenges but the process was enjoyable and rewarding. We have faced several challenges in bringing these culinary concepts into a reality but the process was enjoyable and rewarding. Supported by my strong operational team, I ensure the successful launch and operation of each outlet. We have ten new launches by the end of the year. Each one is different and offers our diners a brand-new experience. I’m so passionate about what we are creating and I can't stop dreaming of more. For the time being, I am busy preparing for the launch of two new concepts; Grand Beirut & Raclette. Stay tuned!” Danny Kattar – General Manager at MBT Restaurant Management
“Working on MBT projects has been incredibly rewarding despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic. There were a few key factors contributing to the success of my department in particular. The biggest challenge was engaging the right contractor for each project and a great consultancy team. While managing multiple construction & fit-out; projects this always presents a challenge but during the pandemic it was especially difficult. Special thanks to ADD, PM Consultants, WAI, ID Consultants, and the main contractor, Decovision for their amicable works in “Beirut Sur Mer”.
The first F&B operation “Beirut Sur Mer” has been completed marking the start of our operations. With the continued momentum of the entire team and with the same determination we are expecting four additional operations to commence by summer 2021.” Issam Hallak - General Manager - Projects and Fit-Out at MBT Hotel Management & Hospitality.
More announcements are to follow shortly but we are glad to announce to our business partners and peers in the industry that despite the 60% restrictions “Beirut Sur Mer” has made it and proved that unique brands will always make their way to the hearts of diners.
