Johnny Rockets, a US restaurant chain renowned for its distinctive retro interior and menu and fun atmosphere, has reopened its 1300 sq ft eatery with indoor and outdoor seating in the popular Jumeirah shopping mall.

The new outlet has been launched by long-time Johnny Rockets franchise partners Al Fares Restaurant Group, operated by Wael and Zaher Samman.

Al Fares debuted their flagship UAE Johnny Rockets restaurant in 1996 in Jumeirah at Jumaa Al Majid complex on bustling Beach Road, which closed at the end of its lease in August 2013.
 
Commenting on the relaunch, Wael and Zaher said, "We are delighted to open this restaurant in Jumeirah Center across from our very first location that we opened back in 1996. Jumeirah Beach Road is and will always remain at the heart of Dubai. We must admit that since 1996, many things have changed in Dubai, particularly in the food and beverage industry."

"It seems like every major franchise from all over the world has set up shop here. This is a clear indication as to the importance of this city, and the UAE in general. When we first opened here almost two decades ago, we never thought that down the line we would have 14 restaurants in the UAE," agreed the duo.

"However, the almost incredible boom Dubai has witnessed this past decade alone, and the influx of international companies have created fantastic opportunities for both businesses and consumers. This has created the perfect example of healthy competition. People now have an unprecedented wide array of restaurants to choose from, and therefore, restaurant operators have to make the extra effort to bring in, and retain their customers," they added.

Wael and Zaher Samman received the company’s International Award for Outstanding Development in 2012 and now operate 11 restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah. In June, they introduced Johnny Rockets to the Corniche waterfront area, which marked their second Abu Dhabi restaurant since opening the Yas Marina Circuit in August 2012.

"As pioneers in the industry, we at Johnny Rockets have maintained an edge over other concepts in the sense that we offer a true original diner experience that no other concept does," they pointed out.

The all-American menu features made-to-order hamburgers, American fries served with the signature ketchup smiley face, hand-spun shakes and classic sandwiches. Dancing servers, twirled straws and upbeat tunes from the past eight decades round out the unique interactive guest experience, said a company statement.
 
Johnny Rockets' Dubai locations include Dubai Marina, Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road, The Village in Dubai Mall, Mirdif City Centre and J3 Royal Mall. It also boasts of an eatery at Al Hamra Mall in Ras Al Khaimah which opened last month.

On its future plans, the franchisee partners said they plan to open three more outlets in the UAE within the next two months besides launching their first restaurant in Oman in mid-2014.-TradeArabia News Service