Ireland’s renowned alcohol-free bar, The Virgin Mary Dublin, is spreading its wings to the UAE’s capital through its first franchise partnership with MBT Restaurant Management. Known as TVM in Abu Dhabi, this high-end venue, which is due to open in summer 2021, will once again have the look, taste, and excitement of a bar, just simply without the alcohol.

The first of its kind in Europe and now the Middle East, this innovative wellbeing bar is set to become a standout feature in The Galleria Al Maryah Island. Home to an array of top tier recognised brands, independent retailers and international cuisine restaurants including Zuma, Coya and La Petite Maison, this vibrant location was the ideal choice for TVM’s new base in Abu Dhabi. 

The concept for The Virgin Mary Bar Dublin was created by TVM Bar Global Founder and Co-Owner, Vaughan Yates, in 2019 with an eye to global expansion. 

Vaughan explains, “When we first opened The Virgin Mary in Ireland, it was always our goal to see it spread to cosmopolitan cities worldwide, and with the launch of TVM Abu Dhabi this summer, we are thrilled to realise this ambition so soon. TVM Drinks Creator Anna Walsh has once again built an alcohol-free cocktail menu that will excite and surprise, and this time we are including some really interesting food and drink pairings. We are proud to be working with the team at MBT RM to bring the very best alcohol-free drinks to the UAE and to continue to champion a new socialising paradigm for the global market.”

“MBT RM believes in building and creating innovative home-grown brands as opposed to franchising, but The Virgin Mary’s concept was so unique and different that we made an exception. We were delighted to acquire the franchise of TVM in Abu Dhabi. People in the UAE will now get to experience a fully-fledged refined bar in a mall, and we will teach them how to drink differently.” Niveen Ibrahim – COO at MBT Development and Executive Director at MBT Restaurant Management

“We will engineer a very special food menu to fit with the nature of the bar, our agreement with the concept creators was to give this new addition of TVM a taste of Abu Dhabi, an experience that is suited for the UAE’s culture. We wanted to ensure that we are making the right offerings for this market, combining the best of both cultures to deliver an experience that we promise will be the buzz of the summer.” Danny Kattar – General Manager at MBT Restaurant Management 

In what has been an extremely challenging year for the hospitality industry, this is one Irish success story that is worth celebrating. Along with Anna Walsh, TVM Abu Dhabi will be recruiting several Irish team members for front of house to bring TVM’s unique Irish personality to the Middle East’s first alcohol-free bar and restaurant.