NBA Café at SM Aura in the Philippines is the first-ever NBA Café in Asia
MANILA – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Hoopla Inc.
today announced that the first-ever NBA Café in Asia will be coming to
Manila, Philippines, at the soon-to-open SM AURA Mall in the Bonifacio
Global City.
Scheduled to open in September 2013, the NBA Café will feature a
unique dining and entertainment experience that captures the excitement
of the league through memorabilia displays, NBA highlights and
programming, an NBA retail area, and will host viewing parties and
appearances by NBA talent.
At the NBA Café, fans will enjoy quintessentially American bar and
grill favorites and a selection of Asian-Filipino classics, giving it a
local twist. It is the first sports bar and restaurant in Manila
catering specifically to basketball fanatics and enthusiasts, in a
nation where 40 million people play or have played the game.
This is the second league-owned restaurant set to open outside the
U.S.; an NBA Café also is planned for Madrid in 2013. NBA City, the
league’s first themed restaurant, opened in 1999 at the Universal
Studios Resort in Orlando.
“Basketball fans in the country now have a place dedicated and
designed specifically for them,” said Nian Rigor, Assistant Vice
President, Hoopla Inc. “NBA Café will provide them a taste of the
authentic NBA experience that they can share with family and friends,
complete with great food, custom-made NBA Café Manila merchandise and
the finest in basketball entertainment. This stays in line with our goal
to bring new experiences and concepts to Filipinos.”
“The NBA Café will be a unique destination that will bring NBA
basketball closer to our fans in the Philippines,” said Carlo Singson,
NBA Country Manager, Philippines. “Given their vast knowledge in the
food and entertainment industry, Hoopla is an ideal partner to bring the
NBA Café to life and to provide fans another authentic NBA experience.”
NBA Legend Muggsy Bogues, who was in Manila for the finale of the
four-month long Jr. NBA program, made a special stop at the site,
conducting a hard hat inspection with NBA executives to monitor the
progress of the NBA Café.
“This is my first time in the Philippines and I’m overwhelmed by the
passion the people have for basketball here,” said NBA Legend Muggsy
Bogues, who at 5-3 is the shortest player ever to play in the NBA. “More
than a restaurant, the NBA Café will be a destination where fans here
can watch games in an entertaining atmosphere that captures the history
and excitement of the NBA.”
The NBA recently announced a comprehensive global games schedule that
will include a total of eight games in six countries this October,
including the first ever preseason game in the Philippines. In addition,
each year the NBA conducts local events in the Philippines, including
the Jr. NBA youth development program, which has reached more than
60,000 students, parents and coaches over the past five years, and NBA
3X, the league’s global basketball competition and lifestyle event which
will be conducted in 14 countries outside the US this summer.
source : http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv
