Downtown Eateries Get a Boost

Anyone who has tried to get a table at an upscale downtown restaurant before concerts or games at Staples Center already knows the arena has provided a big boost to downtown eateries.

Now there are some hard numbers to prove it. A recent survey of 13 upscale restaurants by the Central City Association showed an average 15 percent increase in clientele on concert and game nights, with popular places like Ciudad and Engine Co. No. 28 posting jumps in the 20 percent to 30 percent range.

“It’s definitely been good for business,” said Ed Kasky, general manager of Engine Co. No. 28, which is five blocks north of Staples Center. “In fact, the Lakers’ playoff game last week doubled my business.”

Downtown restaurants have been a closely watched barometer since the Staples Center opened last fall. Local boosters have long hoped the arena would help spark nightlife in what has traditionally been a dead neighborhood after dark. Establishing that nightlife is viewed as the critical first step of a downtown revival.

“What we’ve seen so far is really good news,” said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the Central City Association. “It shows that people aren’t just coming in only for the games or concerts.”

So far, the increased business has been most pronounced at a few restaurants relatively close to Staples Center. And almost all of that business has come prior to games or concerts, with people tending to leave the area immediately afterward.

“To get people to stay later, it’s going to take more streetside activity,” Schatz said.

Waiting for the rush

The biggest boost reported in the survey came at Ciudad, with an average of 30 percent more patrons on event nights than on other evenings. General manager Shawn Laughingtree said more than triple the normal Monday night crowd showed up before the Lakers’ playoff game last week.

“It’s been a pleasant surprise,” he said.

But the increased patronage has not been as spectacular at other restaurants. Pacific Dining Car reported a smaller gain of 10 percent since the arena opened, and Ciao Trattoria reports an even smaller increase.

“We’ve only seen our business increase about 5 percent or so on game or concert nights,” said Ciao general manager Mehdi Moore. “It’s not as much as we expected or hoped for. It might take another year or two for more people to discover downtown restaurants.”

The modest gain comes in spite of the fact that Ciao Trattoria is closer to Staples than either Ciudad or Engine Co. No. 28.

In fact, earlier this year, Ciao stopped offering free shuttle service to Staples-bound patrons. Moore said there simply wasn’t enough overall demand, in part because a few customers preferred to walk the four blocks to the arena.

Regular shuttle service to Staples has also been discontinued from Checkers Restaurant at the Wyndham Checkers Hotel, although hotel general manager Joe Mottershead said he often orders special shuttle service on nights when concerts are scheduled.

Checkers has seen about a 15 percent jump in customers on event nights, according to the survey.

‘Suit-and-tie crowd’

Mottershead said the greatest impact has come from concerts like the Bruce Springsteen show that opened the arena last fall and the Mariah Carey concert earlier this year.

“We’re mostly a high-end restaurant, so we never really expected big crowds on regular-season game nights,” Mottershead said. “The Lakers’ playoff games, though, are different; we’re getting a lot of people from the suit-and-tie crowd in here before the games.”

Nearby Cicada Restaurant has also limited its shuttle service to special events and playoff games, according to managing partner Adelmo Zarif. In the survey, Cicada reported gains of 15 percent to 20 percent on those nights.

But Zarif pointed to another problem: cancellations.

“We get a lot of calls on car phones from people canceling out because they get stuck in traffic,” Zarif said. “They leave work on the Westside at 5:30 or so and when they hit heavy traffic, they find they have no time for a sit-down dinner before the game or concert. They end up having to settle for a quick bite on the way or something at Staples Center itself.”

Zarif hopes the situation will improve as people get more accustomed to traveling downtown for evening events.

“There’s no question I’d like to see more people here on their way to or from the Staples Center,” he said.