RETAIL: Long-Awaited Hollywood Diner Set for January Debut

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Long-Awaited Hollywood Diner Set for January Debut

Deborah Belgum

As the nightlife in a revitalized Hollywood continues to gel, the Hollywood & Vine Diner will open for business the first week of January.

Located at the corner of Hollywood & Vine, the diner has been eagerly anticipated by nightclub goers seeking a late-evening eatery open past midnight.

The $3.5 million project, being developed by Richard Heyman, has been in the works for nearly two years.

The diner is located on the ground floor of the Hollywood Equitable Building, a 1929 structure purchased two years ago by developer Tom Gilmore, who has renovated the building for new offices.

“I wanted to be open earlier, but there were a number of things that took place,” said Heyman, who noted that the 12-story building was gutted and had new wiring, plumbing and fixtures installed.

Gilmore, who has been developing loft/condos in historic downtown buildings, called Heyman after he bought the Hollywood building and asked if the builder was interested in putting in a diner. Heyman said he couldn’t resist opening a restaurant there.

The operating hours have not been set but it’s likely that the restaurant, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If demand dictates, it will stay open beyond 3 a.m.

The diner’s Ultra Lounge, which is being built to resemble “a swank 1960s bachelor pad,” will open in late January. It will have ultrasuede seats, shag carpeting and wood paneling. It is being operated in conjunction with Capitol Records, which has a record label called Ultra Lounge and will feature some of its recording artists at the bar.

Shaky Tower

Tower Records may close its Westwood Village store, which has been located at 1028 Westwood Blvd. since 1975.

The company’s lease ends on Dec. 31 and officials at the Sacramento-based company are studying whether to renew it.

“We are currently in negotiations (for the lease) and continue to monitor business performance at the store. We are considering our options,” said Tower Records spokeswoman Louise Solomon.

The store is not one of the chain’s top performers. Of its 107 U.S. stores, Solomon would say only that Westwood outlet ranks among the top 100 in revenue performance. The company’s flagship on Sunset Boulevard ranks among the top 20.

Tower Records, which was founded in 1960, has faced increased competition in the Village. Moby Disc Records, which sells used CDs, opened a store earlier this year in UCLA’s student center. And most students these days would rather download music off the Internet and burn their own CDs.

Also, the company has seen several quarters of consecutive losses. For the year ended July 31, the company posted a $90.3 million loss, considerably higher than the loss of $10.1 million a year earlier.

Tower Chief Executive Michael Solomon said corporate restructuring has cut costs and a reworked bank loan has eased a troublesome credit pinch.

While Tower is contemplating shutting down its 10,900-square-foot Westwood location, the family-owned company opened a 33,000-square-foot flagship store in mid-November at the new Sherman Oaks Galleria.

Tidbits

As if Wolfgang Puck didn’t have enough on his plate, the Austrian chef is getting ready to open a restaurant at the Hollywood & Highland retail and entertainment complex in February. No name has been given to the eatery, which will be a cross between a brasserie and a bistro. It will be located on the 4th level right next to The Grill

Morton’s of Chicago is expanding rapidly into the Los Angeles area. After opening a steakhouse in downtown L.A. in November, it is getting ready to open another steak joint in Burbank sometime next summer. The steakhouse will be located at The Pinnacle office complex at 3300 Olive Ave. near Walt Disney Studios and NBC Studios.

Staff reporter Deborah Belgum can be reached at (323) 549-5225 ext. 228 or at

[email protected].

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