26 Nov 2014
Rollercoaster Restaurant sates Emirati appetite for theme park fun
BY Alice Davis
The Middle East is a hotbed of activity for theme parks, waterparks and tourist attractions, and the region’s appetite for the spectacular has been further evidenced by the opening of a new 360-seat rollercoaster-themed restaurant on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
ROGO’s Rollercoaster Restaurant is located in Yas Mall – a luxury retail centre which is the biggest in the United Arab Emirates – with its first ever week of trading coinciding with the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend. The restaurant chain has four branches in Germany, including one at Europa Park, one in Kuwait and one in Sochi, Russia.
Thousands of customers have already visited the unique concept restaurant, where food and drink is delivered to diners via a custom-built system of miniature rollercoasters. Customers place their orders digitally using the menu tablets at their table. The dishes then leave the kitchen and must negotiate double loops, spirals and a metres-tall tornado track before being delivered directly to a guest’s table. The tornado track is a special feature of Rollercoaster Restaurants around the world.
“The Emirati population is hungry for new and entertaining dining concepts. It always needs innovative and new experiences,” said Jessica Al-Absi, CEO of ROGO’S operating firm JWA Group. “The Rollercoaster Restaurant meets the needs of the domestic population and increasing number of tourists and will be the next top destination in Abu Dhabi for a special dining experience.”
According to Al-Absi, JWA Group hopes to open at least two Rollercoaster Restaurants per year in the region, with investors in places like Dubai and Qatar already expressing interest.
CEO of Rollercoaster Restaurants Michael Mack said two more restaurants are on the cards in Europe and added that he is looking to expand further. “With JWA Group, we hope to increase awareness of the Rollercoaster Restaurants internationally and to expand with the concept in further regions.
Yas Island is home to the expanding Ferrari World theme park, Yas Waterworld, Yas Mall and Abu Dhabi’s Grand Prix circuit. Yas Mall, which opened on 19 November, expects to welcome 20 million visitors in its first year.
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