SKY MANAGEMENT’S NEW F&B VENTURE, SAX, BRINGS FOOTFALL BACK TO DOWNTOWN BEIRUT
Following La Crêperie and Liza Beirut, SAX is Sky Management’s third restaurant outlet to complete the company’s nightlife repertoire. In an exclusive interview with Hospitality News ME, Chafic El Khazen, founder and CEO of Sky Management said that as the company expands, it needs to grow its portfolio. “Sky Management has been present for the past 10 years, and the needs of our initial clientele have evolved. This is why we started getting more involved in the F&B sector, in order to complete our already well-established nightlife repertoire, and in order to cater to more people,” he said. El Khazen describes SAX as a “new dining experience”. The restaurant is located in Beirut Souks, which is still a prime touristic location. He said Solidere and Sky Management have been working alongside each other for a few years now. “We believe that Beirut Souks is an appealing destination.” Asked if it is the right time to invest in F&B in Beirut, El Khazen acknowledged that demand was currently not growing for existing concepts. “However, we decided to take this challenge, since the SAX concept creates a totally new experience.”
The restaurant offers international cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. “We wanted to focus on selecting fresh, simple and good food. Chef Samaan Hilal, from BRAINSTEAM, worked with Sky Management on the menu engineering.” Investment in the project is around USD 1.5 million. The restaurant’s seating capacity is 120 people. Atelier2té, co-founded by the two architect sisters, Tessa and Tara Sakhi are behind the design.
El Khazen promises novelties in both nightlife and the food industry in 2017. Founded in 2006, Sky Management is a pioneer in founding and exporting the Lebanese nightlife experience, with SKYBAR.