Guatemala's Dinner in the Sky: Fine Dining While Suspended 40 Meters in the Air
A floating restaurant in Guatemala offers thrill-seekers a unique dining experience.
The restaurant, which hails from the company Dinner in the Sky, will open to the public next month and will go over 40 meters high, according to Prensa Libre.
Four dates have been confirmed for the restaurant's first season in Paseo Cayalá, Guatemala City, which are on March 4, 5, 6, and 11, the news outlet listed. Together with the chefs, diners will be lifted to the sky using a crane to view the city from above.
For 90 minutes per session, 22 diners are accommodated by three waiters, Prensa Libre wrote. The chairs come with seat belts and are able to rotate 180 degrees so that guests can take in the whole view.
Dinner in the Sky started in Belgium and is now available in more than 45 countries worldwide, including China, India, Russia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the company's official site listed. Special occasions, like wedding ceremonies, are also accommodated.
Diners can watch as a chef and assistant cook their meals at a preparation space in the center of the table, according to a report from Daily Mail. For those who are looking to stage a special event, a second table can be elevated on the side for violinists or DJs.
The concept for Dinner in the Sky was concocted in 2007 after David Ghysels, who owned a marketing and communications firm, collaborated with bungee jumper Stefan Kerkhofs to build an aerial dinner for the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe association. The act then gained recognition, with plenty of people asking the two about how to duplicate the gimmick. Afterwards, the duo decided to pursue the idea as a business venture, Entrepreneur reported.
"It's actually quite an adrenaline rush going up," said Janeen Hinden, owner of event-planning and catering businesses, as quoted by Entrepreneur. "But once you settle in at 180 feet and see the red rocks and canyons, it's a calming, peaceful, beautiful experience."
Guests are advised to use the restroom before ascending, although the table can be brought down to ground level when an emergency occurs, the news outlet further reported. Menu items are also carefully considered and picked to avoid meals that might be choking hazards to the diners.
"Dinner in the Sky is a global concept but must be implemented locally according to the local habits, commercial potential and weather conditions," Ghysels shared, as quoted by Entrepreneur. "So it will remain a marketing tool in countries that don't have 250 days of nice weather, like Western Europe. But it could evolve as a permanent unique restaurant in cities with different conditions."
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