またLA行きたくなっちゃうじゃないですかー。
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 6, 2009) Hoping to bring to life a long-established brand in the music world, Rolling Stone magazine has teamed with an Irish entrepreneur to open a restaurant next year in Hollywood.
To be called Rolling Stone, the 10,000-square-foot venue will be developed by Lucky Rug Group, whose principals include Niall Donnelly and Joe Altounian. The two made the announcement Friday with Rolling Stone editor and publisher Jann Wenner.
Donnelly is described in press materials as a “serial entrepreneur” who has spent the past 12 years opening bars and clubs in the United Kingdom. Altounian comes with a background in commercial and residential real estate and is responsible for raising capital for Lucky Rug, which also has other restaurant and bar properties in the works, though Rolling Stone is the first.
“For those who love music and pop culture, the words ‘Rolling Stone’ continue to mean so much to so many people around the world, especially in the U.S.,” said Donnelly. “We are both excited and determined to bring the spirit of the magazine to life -- the edginess, the coolness, the classiness and the timelessness -- in making this venue a place to see and be seen in.”
The restaurant is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010 at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center, which is also home to the Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards ceremony traditionally has been held.
The new Rolling Stone will not rely on decorative memorabilia, like other entertainment-themed concepts such as Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood. Instead, the space will feature exposed black brick, tufted leather and vaulted ceilings, as well as an antique iron staircase.
Donnelly told the Los Angeles Time that Rolling Stone will have higher-end food than Hard Rock. The venue will have two tiers: A restaurant and bar that will tap into the steady supply of tourists that come to the center built around Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, as well as a more exclusive upstairs lounge.
A press spokeswoman for the restaurant said no information is available yet on the chef or menu, but that it will be equal parts restaurant, bar, lounge and private-event space. Officials said the venue is not expected to host live music, except for special events, though it will have a DJ.
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