HOLLYWOOD RESTAURANTS PACK ‘EM IN AS THOUSANDS OF THEATERGOERS FLOCK TO ‘LION KING’ PERFORMANCES
On any given night at the artsy restaurant Ex Incendo, customers are jammed into the two-story Hollywood Boulevard eatery like harried commuters on a subway.
Hostess Anita Bozicevich does her best to get people seated and served so they can be out the door in time to catch the 8 p.m. performance of “The Lion King,” the musical extravaganza that’s been sold out almost every night since its arrival at the Pantages Theater in mid-October.
While “The Lion King” has been a phenomenal financial success for the storied playhouse that underwent a $10 million renovation last year, it has also been a boon to businesses surrounding the theater, which are seeing their pre-theater volume increase from 30 to 300 percent.
“It has really been amazing,” said Heidi Overturf, a spokeswoman for Pinot Hollywood, the upscale eatery under the direction of famous chef Joachim Splichal. “Our pre-theater business has tripled from 5: 30 to 7 p.m..”
The spike is a hopeful sign that Hollywood is truly on the rebound.
Several major developments in the works have held out the golden promise that Tinseltown would recapture the glittery image that lives in the hearts and minds of millions of moviegoers.
So far, however, it has been mostly talk. Now there is a pound of proof.
“We are seeing a lot more population in the area on the sidewalks,” said Sheila Holincheck, general manager of Vinewood LLC, the property managing entity for Gilmore Associates that’s renovating a 11-story building on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine, ground zero for Hollywood. “It’s lovely the days there are (Lion King) matinees that let out when we are leaving work. It reminds me of New York.”
Indeed, there is a buzz to the streets as flocks of out-of-towners and even longtime Los Angeles residents drift along the sidewalks, taking in the sights and gazing down at some of the 2,169 stars that line the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“‘Lion King’ is a veritable gold mine for someone who wants to feed and entertain these people,” said Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Entertainment District, the business improvement entity that encompasses 18 blocks and includes the seven-decade-old Pantages. “There are over 20,000 people a week who come to see the musical.”
Ex Incendo, located a block away from the 2,700-seat Pantages in the old Taft Building at Hollywood and Vine, doubled its dining area in November and revamped its menu in order to accommodate the increased traffic generated by the show. The eatery may stay busy well past summer, as the musical is scheduled to run until at least Oct. 1, if not longer.
“It’s full every night,” said Deidra Henry, executive chef at the 22-table restaurant.
Blocks away on Hollywood Boulevard, the venerable Musso & Frank Grill, with its wood-paneled walls and art deco sconces, has always been a popular spot to spy movie stars and soak up a 1950s Hollywood atmosphere. But with “The Lion King,” restaurant employees are seeing even more customers clambering for a table.
“It’s wonderful,” said Ricky Kaye, who works at the 82-year-old restaurant. “We hope ‘The Lion King’ stays for 10 years.”
Even on Sunset Boulevard, restaurateurs are feeling a trickle-down effect. At Fabiolus Caf & #233;, an Italian restaurant, dinner reservations are up 30 to 40 percent. “It’s really a good time for us,” said Amanda Guadita, a hostess at the restaurant.
All these hungry theatergoers may provide a boost for the soon-to-open Hollywood and Vine Diner being developed by Gilmore Associates. A cross between a diner and a chophouse, Holincheck expects it will fill a void in the immediate area when it opens in late March or early April. “Things are very exciting for us right now,” she said.
Part of the restaurant business boom is due to a marketing plan developed by Disney Theatricals, which is doing the publicity for “The Lion King.” With input from the Hollywood Entertainment District and the local Chamber of Commerce, Disney developed a Hollywood “passport” that was included in every visitor’s packet of tickets. The “passport” came with discount coupons to several local restaurants as well as to some attractions, such as the Hollywood Wax Museum.
Civic boosters believe this is just the beginning of Hollywood’s renaissance. It will rev up later this year when the $567 million Hollywood & Highland project, being developed by Canadian developer TrizecHahn Development Corp., is completed. The retail and entertainment complex will contain a 4,000-seat theater for the Academy Awards ceremony, a 640-room hotel, broadcast studios and stores.
As more upscale business filter in, they will eventually replace some of the lingerie shops, tattoo houses and inexpensive pizzerias that have given Hollywood Boulevard the look of a miles-long flea market.
