Sonatas & Spirits Seattle’s Triple Door is a Triple Threat of Attraction: Moving Music, Fine Fare and Superlative Service
By Jenny Adams
The Triple Door in Seattle was born in September of 2003. Rising anew,
the lights, libations and legacy have given fresh life to the
historical Mann building from the inside out, and it once again
financially thrives from the beauty of live musical performance.
The Mann building, it seems, always has been the domain of one muse or
another. In the 1920s, it housed the vaudeville theater known as The
Embassy. During these decades, Seattle was an epicenter for the
vaudeville movement. According to historical variety showman M. B.
Leavitt, the word vaudeville stems from the French “vaux de ville”
which translates to “worthy of a city’s patronage.” Musical tastes were
cultivated during these days of realized leisure and larger bank
accounts, and America began to develop her long love affair with the
arts. Later, it became a movie house, flaunting the 25-cent ticket
price from its Union street marquee, and in the 1970s it became an
X-rated adult theater.
As the years progressed, the building receded into the shadows until it
became an eyesore. Husband and wife team Rick and Ann Yoder, already
owners of Seattle’s Wild Ginger Restaurant, put 20 years of work into
restoring the once great space of The Embassy, and when designers NBBJ
and Sellen Construction Co. finished with the resulting Triple Door,
the effect was breathtaking. Sending out music and cocktails from the
ancient Union Street building for the first time since the days of the
vaudeville, The Triple Door definitely is worthy of a city’s patronage.
Raising the Curtain
When patrons enter through the triplicate sets of doors, which lend the
venue its name, the first space is the Musicquarium. A spotless
1,900-gallon aquarium teeming with South American freshwater fish
fights for attention next to the U-shaped bar wrapped around a giant
pyramid of bottles. Large theater lights give this lounge its ambient
glow, and guests can enjoy the Southeast Asian menu or the Triple
Door’s signature drinks.
There never is a cover charge to enjoy dining or cocktails in the
Musicquarium, and with the live music fed in from the theater over a
speaker system, diners in this lounge are able to hear the concert for
free.
The theater space itself still retains much of the early American
charm. In the main theater, current technology is blended in harmony
with the classic. Guests can enjoy dinner, drinks and live performances
sent out from a state-of-the-art Yamaha PM1D soundboard with digital
computer memory and 48 track recording capability.
According to Talent Buyer Scott Giampino, artists not only are
encouraged to play but to record the performance for free, as well.
“The hard drive is removable, so we can record it, pull it out and hand
it to them,” he says. “We love to do it for them, too.” A fiber optic
stage curtain gives the illusion of a starlit night sky, amidst the
original restored rosettes and bands of acanthus leaves along the
ceiling and proscenium, rounding out the final effect.
The Pacific Pour
The house specialty drinks such as the blended Mango Daiquiri and the
classic Mojitos, pull in essential revenue for the venue. “We have a
huge wine list, too,” says Lorna Kneeland, director of sales and
marketing. “The wine and liquor come close to competing with each other
for sales.” With more than 500 bottles of wine on the menu, The Triple
Door operators recently purchased a complete cellar from a private
owner, adding another 300 to the selection. Considering that Washington
state does not allow bottle service, one would think that The Triple
Door would pull the majority of its revenue from food. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The Triple Door’s annual sales figures
consistently show alcohol dividends to be around 60 percent of all
sales.
“We have always had really good price integrity,” Kneeland says. “We
did find that certain acts will bring certain types of people. The Jazz
crowd is always more wine than beer.”
Making the guest happy is paramount for this Seattle favorite, and when
a Country performer took the stage for the first time, the request for
bottled Budweiser not only was noted, but also later satisfied. “We
pretty much have it now on a regular basis,” Kneeland says. “The bar
manager definitely listens to what the service staff has requests for,
and we continually carry those products.”
One flavorful example of The Triple Door team’s push for guest
satisfaction and profit is the Ginger Martini. The staff worked to
create a drink list that would stand out among Seattle’s plethora of
drinking establishments, and incorporating an Asian theme, the Ginger
Martini became a called-for cocktail. “The market has really moved
toward vodka,” Kneeland says. “We kind of looked at what the market is
asking for and came up with specialty drinks that do really well.” For
the Ginger Martini, fresh ginger is marinated in Stoli vodka for three
months, then the ginger is strained out, and the vodka is served
chilled. The final touch is a sliver of ginger to the rim of the glass.
Embracing the local flavors is important, too, and the Mac and Jacks
African Amber tap has found a following as has the local label Elysian
India Pale Ale. In fact, most of the beers The Triple Door stocks are
from the Pacific Northwest breweries.
Schooling the Staff
Triple Door was created as a renowned full-service entertainment venue,
one that General Manager Steve Fantello describes as “upscale, but not
over the top.” To keep things flowing as harmoniously as the music,
Triple Door operators employ a serious staff. Ages of employees range
from late 20s to early 30s, and all are required to bring a sense of
commitment to the foodservice side, as well asto the music aspect.
“To work at The Triple Door, you really have to have a love of music. Otherwise, you are out of sorts,” Fantello says.
Before each performance, the staff gathers to discuss the concert
scheduled for that evening. The artist’s background and style are
studied, thus enabling the staff to educate patrons and to enjoy the
evening more themselves. “People are relaxed inside,” Kneeland says.
“The theater and the lounge are so beautiful that people feel at home
here.”
From the drinks to the food to the outstanding entertainment
lineup, the Triple Door has struck a chord which resonates throughout
the bar and nightclub industry. German Poet and Theater Agent Berthold
Auerbach once said, “Music washes away from the soul the dust of
everyday life.” It seems through hard work and devotion to the
industry, Rick and Ann Yoder have done this, both figuratively and
literally. NCB
The Triple Door in Seattle was born in September of 2003. Rising anew,
the lights, libations and legacy have given fresh life to the
historical Mann building from the inside out, and it once again
financially thrives from the beauty of live musical performance.
