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It was
only a few weeks ago that a restaurant in the East was claiming the
'world's biggest' title with 5000 covers. Now the 6,014-seat Damascus
Gate has taken the accolade from a Bangkok eatery serving a mere
5,000 diners.
The crucial test for Guinness
World Record officials is all the tables are properly catered for,
and they likened the Syrian kitchen to a "mini-factory".
One item not on the menu is a
pint of the famous black Irish brew, however. The restaurant does not
serve alcohol.
Located in a Damascus suburb, the
family-owned restaurant called Bawabet Dimashq in Arabic, was opened
more than three years ago.
At the time, the owner's son and
now general manager Muhannad Samman was studying in London. He
thought of contacting the Guinness people about the $40m project and
the process of verification began from there.
During the busy summer months up
to 1,800 staff are employed in the 54,000 sq-m dining area and 2,500
sq-m kitchen.
The open air area complete with
waterfalls, fountains and replicas of archaeological ruins for the
summer, and there are separate themed sections for Chinese and Indian cuisine.
"The secret of feeding so
many people is to divide up the restaurant into smaller sections and
every person in the restaurant has their own task to fulfil,"
Mr Samman told the BBC.
The kitchen is a like a
production line, he says, where one chef can prepare 25-30 helpings
of popular dishes, such as hummus, in one minute - that's one bowl
every two seconds.
And there is absolutely no
compromise on the standard of food or service Mr Samman insists.
"In this part of the
world, all people care about is their stomachs, so the food has to be
the best."
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