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Imagine having dinner with your head in the clouds, literally! A novel concept - Dinner in the Sky - is due to be introduced in Bahrain during the Formula One weekend in a distinctive event which promises to leave the island's residents wanting for more.
Voted as one of the 10 most unusual restaurants in the world by Forbes magazine, Dinner in the Sky is set to take Bahrain's hospitality and leisure industry to new heights.
Dinner in the Sky was launched in Dubai last month near the popular landmark, Emirates Towers, on Shaikh Zayed Road and was an instant success.
"We had 48 new enquiries after our Dubai launch. Due to the amazing response we are now thinking of having a permanent restaurant in the sky which means that we will buy a table especially for Dubai instead of transporting one according to event requirement," said Mazen Maskati, Middle East CEO of Mind Set Media, the events company who has bought the Middle East franchise of Dinner in the Sky from its Belgian owners.
At present, a table weighing 4,500 kg is on its way from Dubai to the island. The table can accommodate 22 people and the platform can hold an additional six service people. The table is hoisted 50 metres up with a crane weighing a minimum of 80 tonnes; the ascent - according to Mr Maskati - is smoother than an elevator.
"All our equipment from the table, chairs, safety belts, nuts, bolts, cables, everything is certified by German TUV, which is the toughest and most respected safety and security certification in the world," stressed Mr Maskati adding that they have to fly in four people from Germany for every event to ensure that the safety procedures are in order.
Negotiations on the launch venue are underway and Mind Set Media has zeroed in on Amwaj Island and Coral Beach Club on Al Fateh Corniche as their choice locations and are ironing out details to secure the best site for their concept.
"Bahrain has been challenging because we had a tough time getting a permit from the Civil Defence Authority here. But we want to have a presence in the market and offer our clients an extraordinary experience," said Mr Maskati, a Bahraini who is currently flying all over the GCC closing deals for the launch of the concept.
"Middle East is an ideal destination for such a concept because the region enjoys moderate weather conditions most months in the year which allows us to have more events whereas Europe, where the concept originated, has its limitations because of extreme weather," he said of the success of the concept.
Saudi Arabia is next on the cards for the company and they plan to launch in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in May this year. Apart from a unique dining experience, Dinner in the Sky can be used for business events, product launches, seminars, brainstorming or confidential meetings.
In addition to the dinner table a second platform can be uploaded with another crane to provide possibilities of live entertainment. At the moment no live cooking is being offered in the Middle East but a choice of menu from five-star hotels is available.
The cost of an eight hour day event ranges from approximately BD8,690 to BD12,750 depending on the clients' requirements. The organisers are presently working at a frenzied pace to get Bahrain's Dinner in the Sky launch off the ground and into the stars for an unforgettable event.
