Another new year is upon us and Aspire Katara Hospitality (AKH) – one of Qatar’s leading companies in the hospitality sector – seeks to build on the successes of previous years and welcome the challenges and opportunities presented by the year ahead.
AKH continues to grow and the main reason for this is the superb range of brands that come under its umbrella – brands that appeal to all sections of Qatari society. They range from dining at premium outlets like the L’wzaar Seafood Market to the fashionable and fun Red Velvet Cupcakery – just two of AKH’s expanding portfolio of branded outlets.
Not everything that AKH does is visible to the eye, however, with the company providing consultancy services for concept design, concept enhancement and management operations for a host of other hospitality companies within Qatar. High profile Event management is an important part of what we do.
AKH achieved numerous successes in previous years, including the opening of chocolate boutique Chac’Late in February 2013; the opening of American-themed burger joint Burgeri in June 2013; The opening of Al Jazeera Media Cafe in Katara in May 2015; The opening of Burgeri Bus in August 2015; The opening of Chac’Late extension in January 2016; Conceptualization, management and execution of Ramadan lighting as well as other hospitality activities within Katara Cultural Village, such as the Qatar National Day decoration and the event management of the Katara Traditional Dhow Festival. The opening of the 3rd Katara Traditional Dhow Festival 2013 was under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar.
AKH completed its plans to open two outlets abroad. The ‘Chapati & Karak’ restaurant in London’s Brompton Street (at the exclusive Knightsbridge area of the British capital) opened in January 2014 and Burgeri restaurant in 22 Great Marlborough Street, London opened in July 2016. This year, there are more projects to look forward to in Katara Cultural Village and Aspire Park.
AKH is a company defined not only by bringing the best dining experiences and hospitality to its customers but also a clear vision and ambition to become a global brand. 2014 marks a real push to turn this vision into reality by expanding and exporting the quality brands AKH has built up in Qatar, and also promoting the consultancy services it offers to a wider audience.
The company already has the presence in London, but this is only the beginning. By nurturing our brands – and accruing even more, hospitality experience, AKH seeks to combine these two strong strands into a combined product that will prove irresistible to the overseas market.
With hard work and dedication, AKH feels the coming years are going to be great and we are at your service, always.
Kholoud Al-Hail
CEO, Aspire Katara Hospitality
In October, Aspire Katara Hospitality (AKH) joined the hospitality market industry with its first restaurant; Sukar Pasha Ottoman Lounge. It is a casual, yet highly luxurious Ottoman Turkish dining abode, located directly in front of the beach of the Katara Cultural Village. In December, AKH opened its second outlet, L'wzaar Seafood Market; a restaurant with an interactive open kitchen and four-meter-long seafood display which offers a wide range of fresh seafood specialties in a number of different styles. This includes: Classic Mediterranean, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Far Eastern and Indian. L'wzaar Seafood Market also serves a specially created a la carte menu composed of starters, main courses and desserts, as well as a sushi bar and teppanyaki counter which are among the additional features for an incredible dining experience.
AKH opened Kunafa Albisana, a relaxing traditional cafe in Katara, which offers Kunafa with imported Nabulsi cheese prepared with the finest ingredients. During August was the opening of the Red Velvet Cupcakery in Katara which is the first international location for Red Velvet outside the United States of America.
Three of AKH's new fabulous brands were opened in the same year: Shawarma Albisana - an extension to Kunafa Albisana cafe which offers the best types of Shawarma, serving Beef, Chicken and Mexican. le Vesuvio - named after the famous volcano in Naples, offers a full menu of exquisite Italian cuisine. The premium quality of food includes piping-hot pizzas from an authentic wood-fired oven. AKH opened its first business in Aspire with the Aspire Grand Cafe; a casual, sporty and healthy cafe located at the very heart of the park. In May, L'wzaar Seafood Market was selected as 'Best Seafood' restaurant winner at the 'Time Out Doha Restaurant Awards 2012'.
On February 1st, was the opening of Chac'Late, the European-themed chocolatier which brings together first class brands of chocolate from UK, Italy and Switzerland, as well as authentic home-made Arabic flavours. On June 15th, Burgeri officially opened at Aspire Park. Burgeri is an 'Americana' vintage-themed burger and hotdog house serving freshly-prepared imported premium quality meat from the USA.
In January, AKH brought 'Chapati & Karak' to the swanky Knightsbridge area in London, UK. The restaurant is located at 144 Brompton Road , close to Knightsbridge's luxury brands and high end department stores (such as Harrods) and is now serving London's shoppers and tea zealots the remarkable taste of the local culinary tradition. In May, L'wzaar Seafood Market was selected as 'Best Seafood', le Vesuvio as 'Best Italian' and the Kunafa & Shawarma as 'Highly Commended Best Budget' at the 'Time Out Doha Restaurant Awards 2014'. On December 1st, the Aspire Katara Hospitality brand was updated and refreshed.
In January, Burgeri's rooftop was opened which became a new level of dining experience where you can get the best view of Aspire Park. This year, two of our F&B outlets were selected winners at the 'Fact Dining Awards, Doha'; Burgeri for 'Best North American Restaurant in Doha 2015' and L'wzaar Seafood Market for 'Favourite Seafood Restaurant 2015', while le Vesuvio was selected as 'Highly Commended' restaurant at the 'Time Out Doha Restaurant Awards 2015'.
The company's vision is to bring to Qatar unique dining concepts from all over the world, to develop our own indigenous concepts, and to create exciting and well-managed events showcasing local heritage and increase awareness of them on an international basis. Further, the goal is to manage luxurious hotels, boutique and quality retail shops to support the business demands of this country, and our burgeoning overseas presence.
To always adopt a virtuous approach to our customers and business partners, to provide an outstanding experience for everyone who deals with us, and to conceive and develop unmatched concepts. Our key value is to always go over and beyond the expectation.
Aspire Katara Hospitality (AKH) specializes in the field of hospitality and leisure. We envisage bringing to Doha authentic cuisines from all over the world and we go a step ahead by creating a unique ambiance to our restaurants yet maintain the rich tradition and culture of Qatar. We also provide consultancy and hospitality services to hotels, concept development for retail shops, event management and catering services. After conducting extensive research, we have also introduced to Doha high-end retail and food beverage concepts from abroad. In addition, we have also developed our own concepts which are fully operational and very popular in the region.
We have introduced to the local market specialized dining outlets in Katara – the world-renowned cultural village of Qatar- and our popular outlets include the Sukar Pasha Ottoman Lounge, L’wzaar Seafood Market, Kunafa Albisana, Shawarma Albisana, le Vesuvio Italian Restaurant, Chac’Late, and the Red Velvet Cupcakery. We also manage Burgeri, a burger restaurant located at Aspire Park.
All restaurants within the AKH portfolio are unique and offer a diverse dining experience. L’wzaar Seafood Market was awarded the Best Seafood Restaurant in 2012 and Highly Commended Seafood Restaurant in 2013 by Time Out Doha. Red Velvet is a prestigious Cupcakery in the USA and we have brought it to Doha, it was awarded the ‘Favorite Delicatessen Outlet’ by Qatar’s Choice Award in 2012.
Our specialized team is continually working to bring more exciting dining opportunities to the residents of Qatar. We have numerous upcoming outlets in Katara and the Aspire Zone. Internationally, our plans are well advanced. We have just launched one of our outlets in London and plans are already underway for expansion for the rest of the outlets and in different locations.
Aspire Katara Hospitality provides Consultancy and Hospitality Services for hotels and restaurants, including the development of new Food and Beverage, Retail Concepts and Event and Operations Management. The domestic success of Aspire Katara Hospitality gives the team a clear vision and determination to move forward in taking its own brands into international markets
L'wzaar Seafood Market and le Vesuvio were awarded the Best Seafood Restaurant and the Best Italian Restaurant respectively in 2014 by Time Out Doha
Aspire Zone Foundation brought back the successful Lake Festival for a second year in a row and added a little extra spark. Itís a poetic and dazzling show orchestrated by the experts and talented artists who conducted The Geneva Lake Festival, Chateau de Versaille and Pont Du Gard shows.
Directed by the highly acclaimed Christophe Berthonneau along with 40 performers, who dazzled Aspireís audience with a premier show experience at Aspire lake. Aspire Zone was lit up and sparkling for two nights on the 23rd and 24th of March 2018. Over 10,000 ticketed guests attended the show over the 2 days.
The Magical Journey was manifested through a multitude of pyrotechnic ballets performances supported by amazing and creative lighting, multimedia, fireworks, and sound effects.
Aspire Park hosted 30 local F&B businesses with a variety of options, and the festival was sponsored by Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Katara Cultural Village and Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
After the immense success of Aspire’s 1st International Kite Festival, we have invited our favorite international kite flyers to return to Aspire Park for yet another prosperous Kite Festival.
The event was held for 4 days, starting on March 6th to conclude on Friday, March 9th 2018.
Qatar residence watched in awe as professional kite flyers decorated the sky with their skillful choreography and enchanted designs. There was even more action on the ground with kite workshops, roaming entertainers and food kiosks.
This year, the much awaited Qatari team was launched to join the 22 countries to fill Aspire’s sky with colorful shapes and characters. The team was formed by the Organizing Committee in inviting a group of inspired young Qatar residents to join hand in hand and build the country’s very own kite.
The workshops were made for anyone interested to know the basics of building a kite. The public had the option to build their own kite or to decorate one to take out and fly. Its purpose is to educate the public in the art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying kites and advance the joys and values of kiting in all nations.
Moreover, the event featured three types of Competitions, Photography, Children’s Poster and Schools’ Competitions. The winners were announced on social media and awarded after the event.
Along with the International Kite Festival, AZF, in collaboration with the Qatar Photographic Society, launched a photography competition where Qatar residents were invited to enter by taking a photo and uploading it on Instagram. We wanted them to capture the dynamic beauty and show us the perfect moment through their camera lens. First place winner this year won a 20,000 QAR cash prize. Second place winner will be flying business class to a destination of their choice while the third place winner received two economy class plane tickets. Fourth and fifth place winners each received a professional camera to encourage them to take on their hobby to the next level. The competition was open to everyone and no registration was required.
Children were also given the chance to win in a competition designed to encourage them to reveal their creativity and imagination. All youngsters below the age of 13 years were invited to create and colour posters related to the event. Children drew their best illustration of a kite in the skies above Aspire Park to win valuable giveaways from Virgin Megastores. A panel composed of two Artists chose 6 winners.
The Festival organizer has designed a dedicated schools program to introduce children to the sport of kite flying through a friendly inter-school competition which was open to all Qatari schools, with teams representing 10 local schools vying for a range of cash prizes ñ 50,000 QAR for first place, 30,000 QAR for second place and 20,000 QAR for third place.
The Event was sponsored by Qatar Airways, Ooredoo, Katara, Salam Stores, Virgin Megastore and Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
It was an honor to have led the first Lake Festival held in Qatar. Lake Festivals are very popular in the United States, China, Japan and Africa with more countries joining the list each year. In order to put Qatar on the Map of the Worldís elegant Lake Festival we initiated the first Aspire Lake Festival.
The depth of the sea has always been a source of mystery that mankind held an attraction to and it influenced many of their novels. The Italian Artist, Roberto Corona was inspired by the beauty of the sea and its mysterious creatures to create this extraordinary show, that took place at the Aspire Lake on the 9th,10th and 11th of November 2017.
Aspire Lake was immersed into a creative display of water and music celebrating beauty of the sea with breath taking performances, Dj and live singing. Approximately 75,000 people attended the show over the 3 days
Aspire Park also hosted Qatarís favorite food trucks with a vast selection of sweet and savory options. It was indeed a celebration of life & color through the grace and majesty of the underwater world!
The ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural was unveiled at Aspire Katara Hospitality (AKH) headquarters and Katara offices. AKH CEO Kholoud Al-Hail and staff signed on the mural expressing their support and solidarity with Qatar and His Highness, the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
It was an honor to lead the first International Kite Festival in Qatar, hosting 13 different countries with the assistance of the Singaporean International Kite Association from 25 to 29 April 2017 in Aspire Park.
The event was buzzed with workshops daily, showing students from different schools how to build and decorate kites, draw, paint and educational presentations about the history of kites.
Moreover, the event featured three types of Competitions, Photography, Children’s Poster and Schools’ Competitions. The winners were announced and awarded during the culminating evening on the last day of the event.
The Photography Competition was open for the public, participants captured action shots of the kites flying, or of guests interacting in the festival. Images were posted on Instagram with the hashtag #AspireKitePhoto and judged by a panel of Qatari Photographers.
The Prizes for the lucky winners were 2 Business class tickets from Qatar Airways for the 1st place, 2 Economy class tickets from Qatar Airways for the 2nd place and A D3300 camera and a training course from Nikon for the 3rd place.
Children’s Poster Competition was open to all kids of the age of 13 and under. The 10 winners received gifts from Kiddy Zone.
The Schools Competition was open to all public and private Qatari schools, 7 schools participated, the first prize was 30,000 QR went to Muaz Bin Jabal School, the 2nd Prize was 20,000 QR went to Gheras International School and the 3rd prize was 10,000 QR went to Birla School.
The Event was sponsored by Qatar Airways, Ooredoo, Nikon and Kiddy Zone.
For the first time in Qatar, Aspire will host the International Kite Festival. Come watch in wonder as professional kite flyers paint with sky with their skillful choreography. There is even more action on the ground with kite workshops, roaming entertainers, food kiosks, F1 simulators and more.
Photography Competition
Enter our photo competition to capture the dynamic beauty of the Aspire 1st International Kite Festival and win! Keep your eye on the sky and head in the clouds to capture the perfect moment that reflects the event. The rules are simple. Photos must be taken in Aspire Park during the festival 25th- 29th April using the #AspireKiteFest #Aspire. For more details visit www.lifeinaspire.qa
Children’s Posters
Let your children’s creativity soar in our poster colouring competition. Children up to 10 years old are invited to draw their kites in the Aspire Park sky. Entries will be posted on Instagram and the photos with the most like will win exciting prizes. For more details visit www.lifeinaspire.qa
Unique Family Fun
More than just kites, the 1st Aspire International Kite Festival is full of family fun. Be entertained by the roaming stilt performers specializing in juggling, comedy and acrobatic routines. Explore the wonder of the wind garden and watch as the wind surrounds you with the mesmerizing motions of the wind spinners. Join us for an international festival of fun!
Black Angus beef with fresh white truffle, topped with special sauce.
Try our Hammour fillet with Thai hot and sour sauce.
BBQ Rabeeb Fish Marinated with Arabic Spices, Topped with Chopped Tomato, Red Onion and Red Pepper. What a burst of flavors!
With just the best ingredients from Antep or Urfa and the original pistachios from Turkey our team creates unforgettable Baklavas that bring you back to the table of the Sultans.
Order is required 24 hours in advance.
Order and Payment are required one day in advance
A scoop of three delicious flavors of your choice for a price of one. There are five flavors for you to choose from; strawberry praline, oreo nutella, vanilla, lotus and caramel.
THAI HOT PAN
Mixed of fresh seafood cooked with julienne of fresh garden vegetables and seasoned to a mouthwatering taste, served in a hot pot.
The latest craze in town this summer. It is truly refreshing and energizing… Karak Shake is blend to perfection by C&K. Now available in UK and Doha outlets.
Introducing our new flavourful Chapati deliciously filled with honey. Available in UK and Katara Doha outlets.
Experience the traditional Arabic Coffee with our special chocolates.
Craving for chocolate?
Enjoy our wide variety of Pralines prepared with premium quality ingredients sourced locally and internationally!
Homemade cronuts served with your favorite choices of fillings; strawberry jelly and Nutella. Do it yourself, it is fun and delicious.
Aspire Katara Hospitality Qatar is looking for Food & Beverage professionals to join immediately:
This page is dedicated to investors interested in developing and operating food and beverage outlet within the premises of Aspire or Katara.
BUSINESS POTENTIAL AREAS
Aspire Zone
Concepts developed and operated in Aspire shall be non-exclusive which means that branches or food chains are welcome. This place is alcohol-free and pork-free sites, ideal for healthy types of products and services. Aspire Zone boasts some of the world’s finest sport stadium and venues offering a unique sport, sports medicine, research and education destination for the international sports industry.
Katara Cultural Village
Concepts developed and operated in Katara shall be exclusive to Katara and no other branches are or will be opened or operated within Qatar and the Middle East (to include GCC countries) and North Africa Region. It is an alcohol-free and pork-free site. Katara was born out of a long held vision to position the State of Qatar as a cultural beacon a lighthouse of art, radiating in the Middle East through theatre, literature, music, visual art, conventions and exhibitions. This village shall be a glimpse of the future of a world where people of different cultural backgrounds overcome their national boundaries and embrace common causes to promote a united humanity. Katara is where the grace of the past meets the splendour of the future.