Permanent Laughter

Some promotions are permanent. Viewing his market, Fred Pozin decided that the nightclub setting just wasn’t pulling in the revenue in its location inside the Ramada Inn in Jacksonville, Fla. Originally called Gigi’s, Pozin took a chance 14 years ago, went out on a limb and teamed with Heffron Talent International/Comedy Zone.

Sleeping With Bunnies

    You’re never too old to go to sleepovers, especially when the Playboy Playmates are hosting it. The Playmates held their annual sleepover at Nové in Las Vegas.

L.A. Meets N.Y.C

    Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, N.Y., has always been about the art. The staff serves a stiff drink to help cover production costs, but the focus is on a loftier purpose of bringing art to the masses.

No One's Lonely at the Lodge

    If you can’t find a date on Valentine’s Day, do the next best thing and buy one.
The Lodge Bar in Columbus, Ohio, recently held its second annual date auction, with proceeds benefiting the American Lung Association of Ohio.

Fashion Forward

    In a place where modeling agencies and fashion are plentiful, it only made sense to bring them under roof for one exciting night. Bamboo Dance Club & Bed Garden in Cape Coral, Fla., held its first-ever full moon fashion festival, which featured 25 of the hottest international models.

   
A New Way to Sell Wine

    Award-winning in several aspects of design, food and spirit, Mie N Yu in Washington D.C., has set new standards in the way they present their wine to customers. The restaurant now publishes a quarterly, 12-page, full-color wine magazine. The magazine has replaced the old wine lists, and when patrons sit down, each person is presented with a personal copy that her or she may take home.
    “It all started because we were looking for a way to educate guests on how to pair wine with food,” says Associate General Manager David Troust. “We began it a year ago, and the idea evolved into a magazine.”
    It is called Wine N Yu, and inside each issue, the bottles and wines by the glass are listed with advice on pairings, descriptions and even recipes by Chef Tim Elliott. Articles by award-winning journalist Jennifer Rosen are also included, and each issue has more information than the previous.
    “At the start,” says Troust, “it was a big project for us. This is something that I have yet to hear of anyone else doing. We reserved the domain names winenyu.com and winenyu.net, and I expect the magazine to expand.”
    In the most recent issue, there are even maps to show the locations of the specific vineyards of the wines available, and the project has pulled in advertisers.
    “We have gotten a lot of calls from advertisers to get on board,” Troust says. Vendors are now buying ads in Wine N Yu to help sell their brands directly at the table.

Crawling Before You Walk

    Aligning your bar in the minds of patrons as a great place to eat, drink and be entertained is a smart idea from the moment you open your doors. Involving your brand in the community and being friendly in partnerships with your competition on top of that, is a recipe for total success.