Joey Ghazal Explained

Joey Ghazal
Birth Name:Joseph Fred Ghazal
Birth Date:15 September 1978
Birth Place:Montreal, Quebec
Nationality:Canadian
Alma Mater:Concordia University
Occupation:Restaurateur and commercial developer

Joey Ghazal (born September 15, 1978) is a Lebanese Canadian restaurateur and founder of Fighterbrands, Pine Tree State Trading Co and The MAINE. Ghazal has developed, owned and managed restaurant and bar concepts in Beirut, Dubai and London. He has been recognized by Caterer Magazine as Middle East Restaurateur of the Year.

Background and education

Born in Montreal, Canada, and raised in Dubai, Ghazal graduated from Dubai College in 1995 as a theater and history major. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.[1]

Career

Ghazal started his career in 1998 at 18 as a busboy at La Queue de Cheval Steakhouse & Bar in Montreal. He worked his way up the ranks from waiter to assistant restaurant manager, to director of marketing for the Morentzos Restaurant Group owned by Peter Morentzos.[2]

Ghazal spent three years living in London between 1999 and 2003 where he studied Film Production and Scriptwriting at Raindance Studios and while working for the Soho House.[3]

After leaving MRG in 2009, Ghazal moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where he created, owned and operated four restaurants and venues: Cro Magnon Steakhouse & Bar, St. Elmo’s Seaside on Zaitunay Bay, The Angry Monkey, which was franchised to Dubai's Stereo Arcade Complex in 2013, and Brgr Co. [4] In 2013 Ghazal moved back to Dubai to establish Fighterbrands, an agency that develops, owns and manages restaurant and bar concepts.[5]

In 2014 Ghazal established Pine Tree State Trading Co, a BVI company that owns the Maine Oyster Bar & Grill.[6] [7] [8]

In 2017 Ghazal set up Barbary Deli & Cocktail Club, a cocktail bar at the TRYP by Wyndham Hotel in Barsha Heights.

In 2018, Ghazal was awarded Restaurateur of the Year 2018 at Caterer Middle East Awards.[9]

In 2019, Ghazal opened the Maine Street Eatery in the Studio One Hotel, in Studio City.[10]

In 2020, Ghazal opened the Maine Land Brasserie at the Opus ME Melia Hotel in Business Bay.[11]

In 2021, Ghazal opened the first international outpost of the Maine in London, with the Maine Mayfair, in Hanover Square in Mayfair.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

In 2022 Ghazal opened the Canary Club in JLT, a West Coast-inspired restaurant which was his first departure from the Maine brand.[18] [19] [20]

In 2023, Ghazal opened the Maine Ibiza in the Salt flats of Salinas in Ibiza.[21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

Ghazal is also the founder of the Million Oyster Project which is the region's first community-driven reef restoration project], using the Maine's discarded oyster shells to rehabilitate the natural reef system off the coast of Dubai to promote marine biodiversity and create a natural habitat for the endangered Hawksbill Turtle.[26] [27] [28]

Awards

Ghazal was awarded "Middle East Restaurateur of the Year for 2018" by The Caterer magazine.[29] He is also listed in the yearly "Power 50" issue as the "4th Most Powerful Independent Restaurateur" in the Middle East.[30]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.figjamco.com/entrepreneurship/5-question-friday-with-joey-ghazal-of-the-maine/ "5 Question Friday with Joey Ghazal of The Maine"
  2. https://www.esquireme.com/lists/best-dressed-joey-ghazal "Best Dressed Men in the Middle East -Joey Ghazal"
  3. Lucy Barnard,"SME profile: Escapee from Beirut violence finds the world is his oyster", The National, May 14, 2016.
  4. OLIVIA MORRIS, Dubai’s top restauranteur Joey Ghazal and the power of perseverance, emirateswoman.com, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
  5. PAUL JEBARA, Building a Hospitality Empire in Dubai and Beyond, with Restaurateur Joey Ghazal, hotelsabovepar.com, SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
  6. Joey Ghazal, The Maine man’s recipe for success in Dubai, arabianbusiness.com, Wed 23 Mar 2022
  7. Lucy Barnard, SME profile: Escapee from Beirut violence finds the world is his oyster, thenationalnews.com, May 14, 2016
  8. Vassi Chamberlain, Why are swanky restaurants so bland these days?, thetimes.co.uk, 10 December 2023
  9. https://www.caterermiddleeast.com/events/caterer-awards/77498-joey-ghazal-crowned-as-restaurateur-of-the-year-2018 Staff Writer, Joey Ghazal crowned as Restaurateur of the Year 2018
  10. Sophie Prideaux, Dubai's The Maine to open new restaurant in Ibiza this summer, thenationalnews.com, Apr 29, 2023
  11. https://emirateswoman.com/the-power-of-perseverance-joey-ghazal/ OLIVIA MORRIS, Dubai’s top restauranteur Joey Ghazal and the power of perseverance
  12. https://www.ft.com/content/66cffba6-0f64-4e17-ae23-c67b271ba2c5 Ajesh Patalay, Restaurants with a side of razzmatazz
  13. Virginia Clark, Restaurant of the week: The Maine is the place to be in Mayfair, .houseandgarden.co.uk, 26 November 2021
  14. MARY CLEARY, Indulge in martinis and mischief at London’s The Maine, wallpaper.com, OCTOBER 06, 2022
  15. https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=4f168c4d-5a90-428c-bb9a-aee32472b8b9 Mayfair Times
  16. https://emirateswoman.com/joey-ghazal-discusses-taking-dubai-restaurant-group-global/ OLIVIA MORRIS, Joey Ghazal discusses taking his Dubai restaurant group global
  17. VARUN GODINHO,Why Dubai-based restaurateur Joey Ghazal is taking a homegrown concept to London,gulfbusiness.com, JUNE 23, 2021
  18. David Tusing, First look: Joey Ghazal's new Dubai restaurant Canary Club in JLT, thenationalnews.com, Mar 03, 2022
  19. CHRISTINE VAN DEEMTER, Dubai-Based Restaurateur Joey Ghazal on Bringing the Best of the Industry to the World,en.vogue.me, MARCH 10, 2022
  20. LINDSAY JUDGE, Canary Club is Dubai’s Chicest New Dining Destination, aeworld.com, 09-06-2022
  21. SOPHIE PRIDEAUX, The homegrown Dubai restaurants and hotels opening in Europe in 2023, cntravellerme.com, August 2, 2023
  22. Sophie Prideaux, Dubai's The Maine to open new restaurant in Ibiza this summer, thenationalnews.com, Apr 29, 2023
  23. Zulu, Joey Ghazal on what it took to open The MAINE in Ibiza, caterermiddleeast.com, June 15 2023
  24. Lisa Fleisher, Dubai’s Hottest Restaurants Are Infiltrating Cities Worldwide, bloomberg.com, 6 October 2023
  25. NITYA CHABLANI, Culinary Pro Joey Ghazal Takes You on a Virtual Tour Through The Maine’s Brand New Ibiza Outpost, en.vogue.me, JULY 28, 2023
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o_uQqS0ago Quest Means Business, Dubai Oyster Project works to repair city's reefs
  27. Dubai, Rewilding the sea: Dubai's oyster reef restoration, euronews.com, 05/05/2023
  28. Patrick Ryan, How the Dubai coastline is being rebuilt with used oyster shells, thenationalnews.com, Jan 17, 2022
  29. Devina Divecha, "Joey Ghazal crowned as Restaurateur of the Year 2018", Caterer Magazine, May 10, 2018.
  30. Claudia De Brito, "Caterer ME Power 50 2017: Independents", hoteliermiddleeast.com, December 10, 2017.

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