For fans of the Boston Celtics, TIME Hotels’ new offering O’Learys Dubai will be a sight for sore eyes. The venue on Sheikh Zayed Road is dominated by the green associated with the city’s premier team, a homage to sports bars which appear all over Boston.
And while this restaurant is not lubricated by the same beverage manners as those it aspires to replicate, it offers a vast space and dedicated menu which should satisfy your appetite.
Having opened in June this year, O’Learys looks to tap into the hugely profitable sports scene in the UAE with a unique brand of hosting which is perfect for families and shisha aficionados looking to combine sport with food.
Spanning a whopping 596 square metres, the venue is beyond vast and is littered with sporting memorabilia adorning its walls like no other in the country.
Add to that a menu which includes a number of nods towards sporting greats (the Pele burger is a highlight) and the majority of your needs are likely to be met.
O’Learys has a capacity of 250 and is lined with 21, 55-inch and three 60-inch television screens which give you a vantage point of a host of sports from every angle of the site.
It is TIME’s first offering outside of a hotel and one which aspires to be a landmark development in the company’s Middle East presence.
“The Middle East is a prime target market for O’Learys, with its proven concept and multi-segment consumer appeal,” said Mohammad Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels Management. “Following the success of our first outlet at Fujairah Mall, we are now excited to bring the concept to Dubai.
“We are confident that diners and sports fans will appreciate the unique concept and lively family atmosphere.
“We see further opportunities to place the O’Learys brand in key high traffic, high value locations across the UAE in the future.”
The chain was originally founded by Jonas Reinholdsson, a Swedish restaurateur who was inspired by Boston’s sporting hangouts while working there in the mid-1980s.
Reinholdsson was said to be inspired by the welcoming nature of these bars and restaurants and it is something that definitely translates into this latest venture from the company. This is highlighted by the games section of the bar which includes pinball, air hockey, fussball table, basketball hoops and a number of arcade games such as Pac-Man and Transformers.
That, combined with some rather comfortable seating across its six seating sections, makes for a wonderful backdrop to any sporting event with plenty to keep you entertained if the action on the TV hits a lull.
