Why this café in Abu Dhabi is a petrolhead’s paradise
Rashed Al Fahim, who launched DRVN in 2019, wanted to unite his three passions and provide a public view of his father’s car collection
Fans of classic cars, coffee and pizza can get along at DRVN Coffee in Abu Dhabi. Part café, part classic car showroom, it offers a community space for automotive admirers in the UAE. Rashed Al Fahim, who launched DRVN in 2019, wanted to unite his three passions and provide a public view of his
Fans of classic cars, coffee and pizza can get along at DRVN Coffee in Abu Dhabi. Part café, part classic car showroom, it offers a community space for automotive admirers in the UAE. Rashed Al Fahim, who launched DRVN in 2019, wanted to unite his three passions and provide a public view of his
Fans of classic cars, coffee and pizza can get along at DRVN Coffee in Abu Dhabi. Part café, part classic car showroom, it offers a community space for automotive admirers in the UAE. Rashed Al Fahim, who launched DRVN in 2019, wanted to unite his three passions and provide a public view of his
Fans of classic cars, coffee and pizza can get along at DRVN Coffee in Abu Dhabi. Part café, part classic car showroom, it offers a community space for automotive admirers in the UAE. Rashed Al Fahim, who launched DRVN in 2019, wanted to unite his three passions and provide a public view of his father’s car collection.
Formerly a commercial airline pilot for Emirates, Al Fahim jotted down his business plan on a long-haul flight from Dubai to Manila. The first shop opened near Al Bateen Executive Airport, and later, two more stores opened across the city and in Dubai, just off the Palm Jumeirah.
In 1958, Al Fahim’s grandfather Abdul Jalil Al Fahim started an auto-repair shop that later expanded into the ALFAHIM Group, a family conglomerate with businesses spanning real estate, energy and travel. The company is now run by Mohammed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, whose penchant for vintage cars rubbed off on his son from an early age.
“We’d arrive at school and all the other kids gathered around this classic car and parents are looking,” Al Fahim recalled his childhood while being interviewed by CNN. “I wanted to share that passion that so many other people share, but turn it into an experience that not only car lovers could enjoy, but those who know nothing about cars. It’s just being surrounded by this automotive culture.”
DRVN has played host to various car meets, where locals park their finest exotic wheels, as well as F1 screenings and Pilates classes. The only rule that is applied at the coffee shop is: if the car can be bought at a showroom, it won’t be on display.
Cars on display range from a Mercedes-Benz 300SL featuring Brad Pitt’s signature to the Mercedes 600 Pullman that ferried Queen Elizabeth II on her state visit to Abu Dhabi in 1979. According to Al Fahim, almost $400 million worth of Porsche history, including the first-ever model, was once on display at the Dubai store, which opened in partnership with the legendary German manufacturer in 2022.
“Every car that’s built, it’s a form of art,” he told CNN. “These engineering marvels are what built humankind, and it will continue to be like that.”
DRVN sources its coffee beans from top farms from around the world, and it is all roasted in-house. The pizza served at DRVN is inspired by the traditional Napoletana pizza and is one of the more popular dishes on the menu. For the next six months to a year, DRVN is focusing on growing the brand and establishing itself in this new market, said Caterer UAE..