If you want to just look at the pictures, scroll down!
Rocks Restaurant & Nightclub in Santa Barbara was faltering. The owners hired Duncan Westley of Brilliant Design, to fix this. I redesigned and remodeled the nightclub while also completely overhauling the daily operations of the bars & the club. New staff were hired and existing staff were re-trained. The entertainment line-up was dramatically improved, and a marketing plan put in place.
My plan was to create something sexy & fun that incorporated usability & maximum income generation. Pretty alone doesn't sell. It’s got to work for the consumer for them to be willing to participate, and to tell others about it.
The initial challenge was to make the club room an appealing usable extension of the restaurant for the early evening that would progress and transform into the nightclub later, all for under $15,000! When customers walked in, everything from the first impression to the overall ambiance needed to create an impression of well-being, good feelings and fun … or what’s the point of going out!
The other issue was that the club was upstairs and set back from State Street, therefore all but invisible to passers-by. An innovative low-cost marketing strategy was created to re-introduce the bars & nightclub.
If you want to make your business remarkable contact me for a free consultation.
11.02.2006
The corridor nook
The corridor connecting the main restaurant bar to the nightclub was mainly a walkway to get to the bathrooms. The unappealing table off to the side was rarely used, and had a view through a window of a dirty stairwell & the open back of an unused coat check.
The sexy new nook. Extended, elevated & carpeted with shimmering gold walls & two programmable lights slowly changing color reflecting on the white plexiglass table top. This table is now a premium booth with views both into the restaurant bar & the nightclub.
The walkway with an inviting view of the club and the now curtained stage. Beige paint has been replaced with shimmering gold walls & a chocolate brown ceiling.
The new view out the window across from the nook. Once an ignored and unattractive feature, now transformed with lighter gold paint, and the old coat check converted into a bar [see below]. The glass-backed shelves are highlighted with fake grass and an abstract wall sculpture finishes the look.
The new balcony bar. Now an income generating space, with the textured glass back illuminating the walkway across the stairwell.
The sexy new nook. Extended, elevated & carpeted with shimmering gold walls & two programmable lights slowly changing color reflecting on the white plexiglass table top. This table is now a premium booth with views both into the restaurant bar & the nightclub.
The walkway with an inviting view of the club and the now curtained stage. Beige paint has been replaced with shimmering gold walls & a chocolate brown ceiling.
The new view out the window across from the nook. Once an ignored and unattractive feature, now transformed with lighter gold paint, and the old coat check converted into a bar [see below]. The glass-backed shelves are highlighted with fake grass and an abstract wall sculpture finishes the look.
The new balcony bar. Now an income generating space, with the textured glass back illuminating the walkway across the stairwell.
The nightclub bar
The existing nightclub bar was well designed and functioned well for serving, except that the bar top was so textured that drinks wobbled & spilled when put down, and the harsh halogen lighting was very unflattering. What the bar needed was new lighting, some character, and a new bar top.
The white halogen pendant lights were replaced with a mixture of new and vintage fixtures, with orange bulbs on dimmers for a softer light, and the harsh white fluorescent fridge lights were colorized with filters.
A large vintage fish above the bar? Sometimes something completely incongruous works! Add to that a moving light that looks like flowing water and the effect is complete.
The new view from the bar, and the new smooth bar top. The stand-up bar has a matching top, and a fur-lined front. Previously the stage had been open showing a large empty space covered in equipment and cables. This was not conducive to using the room for dining, or as a bar before the entertainment started. The stage has now been closed off with heavy brown curtains and the dance floor has movable couches for early evening lounging.
The bar top was originally cold gray slate. The tiles were removed and a layer of broken glass was laid in their place. A thick poured lacquer was then layered onto this until the glass was covered, creating a glittering light catching smooth surface. This was matched on the stand-up bar facing the stage.
The white halogen pendant lights were replaced with a mixture of new and vintage fixtures, with orange bulbs on dimmers for a softer light, and the harsh white fluorescent fridge lights were colorized with filters.
A large vintage fish above the bar? Sometimes something completely incongruous works! Add to that a moving light that looks like flowing water and the effect is complete.
The new view from the bar, and the new smooth bar top. The stand-up bar has a matching top, and a fur-lined front. Previously the stage had been open showing a large empty space covered in equipment and cables. This was not conducive to using the room for dining, or as a bar before the entertainment started. The stage has now been closed off with heavy brown curtains and the dance floor has movable couches for early evening lounging.
The bar top was originally cold gray slate. The tiles were removed and a layer of broken glass was laid in their place. A thick poured lacquer was then layered onto this until the glass was covered, creating a glittering light catching smooth surface. This was matched on the stand-up bar facing the stage.
11.01.2006
The big corner issue
The main corner booth Before Brilliant was a dilemma. It was a dominant feature of the room, but it just didn't function efficiently. It sat only 6 and was a poor use of income generating space. Persuading the owners to let me remove it was the single biggest challenge of this remodel. To their credit they honored their original carte blanche commitment to me.
The new seating that treats the corner like a corner, maximizing the space. It now seats up to 12, and has some privacy, elevation and modern style. This is the booth to reserve.
Corner style detail.
The new seating that treats the corner like a corner, maximizing the space. It now seats up to 12, and has some privacy, elevation and modern style. This is the booth to reserve.
Corner style detail.
New booths & tables
Seating is an essential element in any restaurant or nightclub. Comfort, style & functionality need to be balanced. if it doesn't feel good to sit there then people are less inclined to do so. the bright halogen lights were also replaced with stylish inexpensive fixtures on dimmers.
These are the tables & booths before. Cold gray textured tables & drab green booths that were positioned so half the table had their backs to the stage.
The new booths are a soft brown faux leather, with a smooth white table top, set perpendicular to the stage & seating up to 8 for drinks [see the Havana party picture below].
These are the tables & booths before. Cold gray textured tables & drab green booths that were positioned so half the table had their backs to the stage.
The new booths are a soft brown faux leather, with a smooth white table top, set perpendicular to the stage & seating up to 8 for drinks [see the Havana party picture below].
The creative devil is in the details
In-between the booths I designed a low divider. enough for a little privacy if you wanted to tuck yourself away, but not too much if you wanted to interact with the room. The wall above the booths was changed to seem like a window looking out on a mountain scene with programmable lights that changed colors over a 2 minute cycle, giving the effect of different times of the day 'outside'. This got people talking.
Take a free neon from a vendor and customize it for happy hour. An inexpensive way to promote to thousands of State Street passers-by.
It's a terrible picture, but attached to a timer, this inexpensive custom light came on at 9pm to promote to night-time strollers that there's a nightclub upstairs. Simple & effective. [It looks fuzzy because it's rotating].
Interesting new signs for drink specials.
Attention grabbing promotional cards - part of a series.
Take a free neon from a vendor and customize it for happy hour. An inexpensive way to promote to thousands of State Street passers-by.
It's a terrible picture, but attached to a timer, this inexpensive custom light came on at 9pm to promote to night-time strollers that there's a nightclub upstairs. Simple & effective. [It looks fuzzy because it's rotating].
Interesting new signs for drink specials.
Attention grabbing promotional cards - part of a series.
Una Noche en Havana
I had 5 days to put a premiere party together for Los Zafiros - a Cuban film showing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Not much time to organize the event let alone the marketing. I hired & outfitted 3 girls in vintage Cuban-looking dancer outfits to walk down State Street in broad daylight handing out invitations, and again in the evening outside the theater. I also targeted other top potential candidates to attend, knowing that they would spread the word for me - viral marketing done in a hurry - calling and emailing the dance studios that cater to salsa dancers, and our current club customers. I secured Bacardi as a sponsor, the mojitos flowed freely & the event was a smash hit.
The invitation.
Yes, the hostess walked down State Street in that outfit in the middle of the day handing out invitations!
Eveyone's having a grand time after a few mojitos.
The producer and friends. Now 8 people do fit into the booths!
The invitation.
Yes, the hostess walked down State Street in that outfit in the middle of the day handing out invitations!
Eveyone's having a grand time after a few mojitos.
The producer and friends. Now 8 people do fit into the booths!
10.31.2006
Club nights
The feel of the nightclub in operation.
Live, local underground faves: Gugga Qwan
Live, local and nationally known: the Titsofrenix. The stage walls on both sides had been padded for acoustics and covered in brown fur.
DJ Fred with dancer and huge screen projection.
Early days of the revitalization, with new DJs, dancers, projections and most importantly, happy customers!
Live, local underground faves: Gugga Qwan
Live, local and nationally known: the Titsofrenix. The stage walls on both sides had been padded for acoustics and covered in brown fur.
DJ Fred with dancer and huge screen projection.
Early days of the revitalization, with new DJs, dancers, projections and most importantly, happy customers!
10.30.2006
Details details details
Some of the changes are not shown in the pictures. The bathrooms were upgraded with bigger mirrors, better soap, a new color scheme, new and unusual artwork, plus shelves & a chair were added in the ladies room. Details that matter.
The entire club was painted in a rich gold and a warm chocolate brown with one tiffany blue wall. The acoustics were fixed by adding baffle panels everywhere that was practical, the whole sound system was rewired by an expert and the mixing tower moved away from the stage. The band & DJ lights were all fixed and reprogrammed, and the projector was also repaired and actually used!.
The entire club was painted in a rich gold and a warm chocolate brown with one tiffany blue wall. The acoustics were fixed by adding baffle panels everywhere that was practical, the whole sound system was rewired by an expert and the mixing tower moved away from the stage. The band & DJ lights were all fixed and reprogrammed, and the projector was also repaired and actually used!.
11.02.2004
Be remarkable. Stand out. Make more money.
The only way to be noticed is to be more noticeable. Sounds simple doesn't it. Deciding to go down a different path than you've been following can lead to an exhilarating change in your business. Being safe is the riskiest thing you can do. Safe is boring, and boring doesn't get the consumers' attention. Don't just strive to be a bit better and a bit cheaper, be remarkable and stand out.
If you want to make your business remarkable click here to contact me for a free consultation.
If you want to make your business remarkable click here to contact me for a free consultation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)