Video: Restaurateur Joey Ghazal drives the new Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé in Dubai

Dubai-based Joey Ghazal is a prolific restaurateur who worked his way up from the bottom. At the age of 17, he started as a busboy at a steakhouse, and worked his way up to becoming the founder of The MAINE Group, a restaurant business with global ambitions.

Ghazal, who majored in film and theatre, wanted to be a diplomat but was steered into the hospitality business by his father – a decision that has resulted in him building a wildly successful career.

Previously, he opened two restaurants in Dubai – The MAINE Oyster Bar & Grill opened in 2015, and The MAINE Street in Studio City last year.

Swimming against the tide, he’s decided to expand rather than shrink the business amid the pandemic. In June, he opened the third outpost within Dubai – The MAINE Land Brasserie – in the Business Bay district.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had its impact though, and Ghazal took to Instagram shortly after the stay home restrictions were eased to showcase a message of “Learning to Walk Again”, wherein he encouraged people and businesses to learn to adapt to the pandemic and not to be defeatist in their attitude or response to the pandemic.

“Covid-19 is an unimaginable situation. You literally cannot fathom or prepare for such an event. It’s something that everyone is feeling and everyone is dealing with in their own way. Coming out of lockdown, I felt that it was really important to steer the conversation towards a positive message that we cannot accept the world is going to exist without restaurants and bars,” Ghazal told Gulf Business.

The positive messaging has paid off and Ghazal says that most people have found their stride. At his end, plans are afoot to carry on the momentum and expand The MAINE to London as well as Saudi Arabia and the Far East too.

Ghazal has positioned The MAINE as a lifestyle brand and one speaks to fellow lifestyle enthusiasts. One of the learnings from the pandemic, says Ghazal, was to refocus on the concept of luxury. “This period gave many people time to reflect and have time to think about what’s really important. People care about craftsmanship and don’t just buy brands blindly. People really care about soulful luxury.”

In the video exclusively shot for Gulf Business, there are noticable parallels between Joey’s business approach and the world of luxury. Luxury automotive major Mercedes-Benz is one of the many brands that Ghazal takes inspiration from.

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé driven in the video, produces 320kW (435hp) of power and a maximum torque of 520Nm, while rocketing from 0-100kph in 5.3 seconds.

“The truth is I spend more than 50 per cent of my time in my car. I’m always going between my restaurants from meeting to meeting. The way I feel in my car is really important because it sets the tone for the entire day,” says Ghazal.

His dream car, he adds, is a classic Mercedes 190SL. But in the meanwhile, the GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé will do the job.

To learn more visit mercedes-benz-mena.com