Restaurant theme ideas needed..Please help! | FerrariChat

Restaurant theme ideas needed..Please help!

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by PeterS, Jan 9, 2004.

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  1. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 24, 2003
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    Goodyear, AZ
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    PeterS
    My girlfriend is opening a new restaurant (shoot me). She wants to do a vintage 20's / 30's theme inclusive of jazz and blues. She has several thousand old record covers she can scatter about, Victrolla's, etc. She needs ideas on the general decor and what type of posters/prints can be hung on the walls.

    Thanks for your replies in advance!

    Pete
     
  2. cohiba_man

    cohiba_man Formula Junior

    Jan 23, 2003
    937
    Canada
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    John
    I think a 30's theme is good, but like a 30's gentlemen's club would be really cool, decorated in really rich woods, dark leathers, dim lighting and staff dressed 1930's formal, complete the atmosphere with a seperate after dinner cognac and cigar room for the men (although women are allowed in as well).
     
  3. BWS550

    BWS550 Wants to be a mod

    Apr 1, 2002
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    BRUCE WELLINGTON
    PETER

    IS SHE IN TO ART DECCO??
     
  4. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    BRUCE: She thought about the art decco sceme. Victrolla's though are 1906 to about the 20's. Can the two be melted together with some class? Personaly, I think the Victrolla theme thing is a bit to old and dusty.
     
  5. BWS550

    BWS550 Wants to be a mod

    Apr 1, 2002
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    BRUCE WELLINGTON
    ME TO PETE, BUT NO OFFENSE TO YOUR G/F.............IN THE CITY I KNOW OF ALOT OF NOSTALGIA ART DECO PLACES..........
     
  6. Juice It

    Juice It F1 Rookie

    Sep 22, 2002
    3,233
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    Jeff
    Tell her to go with a Franchise. You would be very suprised to see the difference in sales a national chain restaurant can achieve compared to a single unit no name. Not saying it doesn't work but why not stack the deck in your favor. Worth every extra dime it costs in royalties and Franchise fees.
     
  7. twinturbo

    twinturbo Karting

    Nov 10, 2003
    160

    RUN!! RUN!!! RUN!!! get away from the restaurant business it is the DEVIL ... everyone will screw you over ... everyone will make more money than you ... RUN!!!

    so i've been told
     
  8. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
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    Chris
    id make it a movie theater slash movie theater slash bar and depending on what movie you are playing that is what your theme is for the night a westren movie lots of steak and mexican type food. watching a kung fu movie asian food, watching a mobster movie italian food. so on and so on and have tables instead of like movie seats with liek bar table sin fornt of them and choose movies oyu dont really have to watch to well becuase if you have to actualyl watch them noones gonna be able to eat and drink and have fun. i think tha twould be fun
     
  9. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    TwinT..You are preaching to the chior! That's why I said 'Shoot me'!

    96...I REALLY like that idea!
     
  10. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
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    it probally be costly and complicated but worth it without a doubt
     
  11. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 20, 2003
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    Peter - go into some detail about what cuisine will be served. This will help narrow the focus on how to get it right the first time, and hopefully assist in your gal's ambitions. If it's not going to be a Delta Juke joint - or a Cotton Club - then meet it halfway.

    To that end, listen to some "Jazz Blues" - (Jazz that is harmonically and rhytmically simple or Blues that is harmonically and rhythmically complex). The artists who best fulfill that criteria are Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy Rushing, Lonnie Johnson, Big Jay McNeely, Pete Johnson, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Esther Phillips, Roy Milton and myself (laughter ensues).
    While listening to the above - It's possible that you could close your eyes and smell the food cooking and "see" the place you're in.

    An overpriced Interior Decorator's routine suggestion is for you to find magazines you enjoy and cut colors from ads you like out - put clippings in a shoebox. That's the basic palette - you'll see that some colors stay in the box, others are "what was I thinking?" The key is to do get "what was I thinking?" out of the way before doing anything that costs time and money. It doesn't mean not doing "anything" - it just means being a little more prepared to tackle the project and to envision what it will look like.
     
  12. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    WAX: Since it's a bit 'hooterville' where we live, the food will be basic steaks, chicken, pasta, etc. All great, but nothing big city-high-end, high-priced.
     
  13. Dave

    Dave F1 Rookie

    Apr 15, 2001
    2,722
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    I could care less how a restaurant is decorated, or what is hanging on the walls.
    If the food was good as well as the service, then I'll be back.
    If not... all the wonderfully placed decorations in the world wouldn't bring me back.
    Theme restaurants go in and out of style, good food does not.
    Just my thought.
     
  14. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Basic reasons I asked about the menu:

    This is the Menu from Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi
    http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com/menu.html

    Click on the Opening Night pictures to see the man swingin' and the club's interior/exterior. That's a Blues joint, alright.

    Years ago - was it 8, 9? I went as a guest of one of the owners to the Industry (2nd night) grand opening of House of Blues in L.A.. Bas relief portraits of Bluesmen & women up high gave one something to ponder without interrupting line of sight or flow & prevent theft or damage. Haven't been back since - simply can't top that night. Hooooooweeeeeeee. Left there to go to "The Room" behind Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood off Cahuenga. The Room had barely opened, itself. What a night. Man. It was the key to me getting back to L.A. full-time, as I got toasted with my then future employer. (Left that employ @7-8 years ago - basically, I've been independent since then). If I'm not mistaken, there's still no sign indicating the location of The Room - just a light bulb. Keeps it "Hip."

    A wise man once told me, the food has got to be so good, it's better than the service. Some will say if the food is good - they don't care if the service sucks, they'll be back. I like both to be good, but I know what my priorities are when I go someplace to be served food and drink. The priority (as with any business) of those providing the food, drink and service is to get the customer to come back to a a place that has clean utensils and preparation areas - "atmosphere" or no "atmosphere."

    Bottom line, if the look of Morgan's club is too raw - a Jazz club is a more cooked, if you can dig it, jazzman... little things help make a destination "Hip"
     
  15. bigbaddad

    bigbaddad Karting

    Oct 31, 2003
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    Arizona
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    John Roberts
    There is a cinema supper club here in Scottsdale, it's pretty cool. We have been to it a few times.

    http://www.azeats.com/farrellis/default.htm

    -John
     

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