USA: RHYTHM AND BLUES LEGEND BB KING OPENS R & B THEMED RESTAURANT AND CLUB IN NEW YORK

Record ID: 389959

  • Title: USA: RHYTHM AND BLUES LEGEND BB KING OPENS R & B THEMED RESTAURANT AND CLUB IN NEW YORK
  • Date: 20th June 2000
  • Summary: VARIOUS, BB KING PERFORMING (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 5th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Business,Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5XXBRLLKW6B15O1UI9DRKM2GH
  • Story Text: The blues are hitting New York's Times Square in a big way - the music blues that is. R&B legend BB King has opened a restaurant and club hosting some of the blues biggest names in the latest 'theme' restaurant set in New York.
    Blues legend BB King' new club is right in the middle of New York's Times Square district.
    The Club is based on his succesful club in Memphis. The venue will have 500 seats to showcase some of the best names in Blues and R&B and boasts a 150 seat restaurant named Lucille's after his famed Gibson guitar.
    After the sound check King explained how he feels about the look of his new restaurant.
    "When I go out, now I'm a blues player from Indianola, Mississippi but if I got on what we call 'Sunday go to meetings' clothes on I want to go somewhere where I'm not going to get them dirty, unless I fall down or something. I'm talking about I want the place to look good," he said.
    Builders and decorators were working frantically to put the finishing touches on the club before the evening's opening. But touches of the 'theme' were clearly evident.
    Beer taps in the shape of Saxophones, and legends' portraits painted on the wall.
    Analysts wonder if this is the right time to open a specialised restaurant.
    With the exception of the original theme restaurant - The Hard Rock Cafe, most have either closed or are in financial trouble. Planet Hollywood, who filed for Chapter 11 last year, have closed down several non-profitable locations and re-thought their expansion plans.
    The Fashion Cafe, with supermodels Christie Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell behind it closed with debts and the Television City Restaurant closed, when customers trailed off.
    Bill Carlino suggested King keep a higher profile if he wants his restaurant to be a success "Keep your name in there, keep a high profile. Get experienced people to run it. Don't price it out of sight. Hold an occasional concert there, which I think they are planning to do, and I think they will be ok,"
    he said.
    King says they are not going after the specialist market, just people who simply like going out.
    "One of the things I think that is going to make this happen is - we're not trying to be sophisticated, but then we are not trying not to be sophisticated. We're trying to be a people place, not just a special audience, we want everybody that likes to come out".
    King will play everynight for the first week, followed by the likes of Chaka Khan, Robert Cray, Pinetop Perkins and Peter Green who are already booked to appear at the new BB King Restaurant.
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