The brainchild of Treenergy Management and Absolute F&B facility management LLC, Play Restaurant & Lounge is the one of the newest additions to Dubai’s nightlight scene.
Just five days after its New Year’s Eve launch, Caterer Middle East sat down with three key members of the team behind the concept.
Managing director Elie Khoury, general manager Jean Marc Petrus and head chef Reif Othman make an experienced trio. Working in Dubai hospitality for 12, 15 and seven years, respectively, certainly works in Play’s favour as the venue sets out to make a name for itself amidst the numerous other concepts set to launch in Dubai this year. The three believe their combined social networks will also help successfully establish the concept.
“We know a lot of people and we have to make sure they feel at home. For the past five days, people have been coming in and feeling relaxed — it’s a very positive energy,” Khoury, who is also managing partner of Treenergy Management, says.
Elaborating on how their amassed experience is beneficial, Petrus adds: “There are a lot of new concepts coming into Dubai and they’re bringing new people; one of the greatest things about our team is that we are familiar. We have run successful places over the last few years so we know a lot of guests. Whether it’s the food, service, atmosphere or ambience, they trust us because of what we’ve done in the past.
"You’ll see people come in and say hello to Elie then realise they know me, and vice versa. In the last five days we have realised that the amount of people that we all know in common is huge. Combined, we’re talking many years in this country. Guests’ expectations are met just by knowing we are involved — they feel that they are at home.”
Talking Caterer Middle East through the concept, Khoury comes back to the word energy several times, namely when he is describing Play as having more of it than the normal dining set-up. He feels this makes it ideal for people who “do not feel old but are not into nightclubs anymore”.
Explaining, he shares: “There are many categories in this market for dining experiences and there are nightclubs in this market. Play is exactly coming between all of these. In a normal restaurant we go to dinner, we sit, we drink wine, we feel a little sleepy, we go home and that’s the end. Play is a little bit more towards [diners] still being here [after eating] and enjoying the music. We are open until 3am and people can gather around the bar, so it doesn’t cut the dining experience at its end.
“Play is for customers who are in the mood to cross the night over, from dining to lounging to dancing.”
Indeed, the venue has various areas designed specifically to cater to guests’ varying moods, though it is also still very much an open plan venue where people can flow between their table to the lounge to the bar.
The interiors, designed in contemporary art deco by design firm Gregory Gatserelia, feature sharp cut brass walls, marble flooring, and signature Colossal Baroque sculptural chandeliers cascading in gold and black Swarovski crystals and pearls.
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