NBA to open first European café-bar venue

The first NBA Café in Europe is set to open this autumn on the iconic La Rambla in Barcelona, the NBA and Spanish restaurant group AN Grup have announced.

Set to open in the autumn, NBA Café Barcelona will feature a four-sided ‘jumbotron’ displaying NBA game highlights and programming

NBA Café Barcelona, the first NBA destination of its kind in Europe, will offer a “unique dining and entertainment experience capturing the energy and feel of the NBA”. NBA Café Manila in the Philippines was the NBA’s first café to open outside the US in April 2014.   

The announcement comes as the NBA and Euroleague Basketball confirmed that Oklahoma City Thunder will play two pre-season games in October (3 and 5) against Euroleague Basketball teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona Lassa as part of NBA Global Games Europe 2016 presented by BBVA.  

Managed and operated by AN Grup, one of the largest restaurant groups in Spain, NBA Café Barcelona will be designed by renowned Spanish interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, whose work is displayed in more than 230 hotels, restaurants and retail spaces around the world.

Covering 1,200 square metres, NBA Café Barcelona will feature a range of NBA imagery, memorabilia, and merchandise. On the food and drink side, the venue will offer “quintessential” American bar and grill favorites along with local and Mediterranean dishes. 

Multimedia displays including an arena-inspired, four-sided ‘jumbotron’ over the bar area will show NBA highlights and programming so diners never miss a shot. Fans will also be able to meet NBA talent, including current and former players, mascots and dance teams during key moments throughout the year.

“The NBA has a longstanding relationship with the fans and city of Barcelona,” said Jesus Bueno, NBA EMEA vice-president of business and basketball operations. 

“NBA Café Barcelona will be a unique, fully immersive one-stop destination for fans of all ages and is another great way for fans to get closer to the NBA.”