Dinner, Drinks and a Show Downtown: Getting to Work on the Other 99%

"Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration" - Thomas Edison

While it's been fun over the first few months of postings on The Image of Worcester to share some big ideas about development in Worcester, it is my hope that, over time, readers will find that this blog is more than just about big ideas, but that it also places an equal emphasis on pursuing these ideas to see where they may lead us.

In late December I posted about the mostly vacant Goral Building next to the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts and how I thought it would make a great space for a restaurant. I've managed to push the ball forward on some of my thoughts and wanted to share them with you and hope you might share your reaction to them in the comments section below.

I was able to get my hands on some as-built drawings for the space, and Al Fine of Fine Associates out of Boston (Al tells me they have done, continue to work on, and are interested in bidding on more design work in Worcester) was willing to sketch up my concept on a set of floorplans.

Goral Building - Proposed 1st Floor Plan

1st Floor - The first floor contains three commercial spaces. Going left to right, we start with the existing corner commercial space presently occupied by Goral Community Optician; next, a 1,000 SF in-line commercial space (this space has you name all over it ARTS Worcester!); and finally, the restaurant. The 75 seat dining room space is on the left and the 35 seat bar is on the right.

Goral Building - Proposed 2nd Floor Plan

2nd Floor - This floor contains two spaces, the 3,700 SF function space on the right and the approx. 2,500 SF office space on the left. The office space lays out in an L-shaped pattern and takes advantage of the existing large windows on the north and west elevations. I was able to do some investigating re: direct connection between Theatre and the function space and I did confirm that a passageway between the Theatre and the function space is indeed physically possible. I also had an opportunity to speak with Troy Siebels, Executive Director of the the Hanover Theatre, and he confirmed that the Theatre is indeed open to exploring potential partnership opportunities such as the expanded VIP space idea discussed in my previous post on this topic.

Goral Building - Proposed Roof Plan

Roof - I know its only February, but the warm weather of the past few days has got me thinking again about that roofdeck idea. The roof contains the 3,800 SF seasonal rooftop deck with a 75 seat dining room and a bar area with 45 seats. There is also a space carved out for entertainment and there is sufficient rooftop space available for a rooftop garden on the left.

There is also a basement space in the building, perhaps a comedy club would like the space?

Dinner, Drinks and a Show Downtown (or, If I Had a $1000000......)

The Hanover Theatre is great, I've been to a number of different shows there over the past few years and enjoyed myself every time. (In fact, there's two more showings of "A Christmas Carol" this week, directed by the Hanover Theatre's own Troy Siebels. Check it out - I have, you will be glad you did!) What kills me, however, is the fact that we can't get a restaurant interested in the Goral Building space next door.

The Goral Building at 551 Main St. (Hanover Theatre in the background right)

My first thought is with the Theatre there and pretty much no other sit down dining options available within a 5 minute walk of the Theatre, this would be a no brainer. Sure, I know the economy has had an impact on restaurant openings, but we have a handful of solid established operators here in Worcester and I would think there would be at least a few operators out of Boston, Providence, Hartford or other northeast cities that would see the potential that the Goral Building presents.

I can't help but think sometimes about what type of restaurant I would build if I had the time and a $1000000 to burn.....

1. Build it small: The temptation is to build it big to handle the crowds pre and post show. I think that would spell doom in this case because the Theatre is dark two out of every three nights of the year, and most of their shows happen in the Fall, Winter (quiet in January) and Spring. So I would build a smaller space (maybe two of the four storefronts, 50 to 75 seat dining room plus 30 to 40 seat bar) that would not feel like a ghost town 243 days of the year. Sure, you will likely have to turn some people away on show nights, but they will then make the point of coming back on a night when there is no show, which is exactly what you want (need).
2. Help Your Restaurant by Helping the Theatre: Just like sporting venues these days, the Theatre needs to have a good stable of ongoing financial supporters. Hanover Theatre Franklin Square Society members do get perks, but it sure could be stepped up. Here's what you do: break through the brick wall on the second floor of the Theatre's current small VIP space into the 2nd floor space of the Goral Building. Now we have a nice function space that the Theatre leases out for maybe 80 shows a year for exclusive use by their VIP's. Construct restrooms and an expanded lounge and bar to exclusively serve FSS members (order your intermission drink before the show and they will have it waiting for you at intermission - one Tanqueray and tonic for me, please). The Foundation Room at the House of Blues in Boston is probably over the top for Worcester VIP space, but it is at least one concrete example of the concept. In terms of ambiance for a Worcester VIP space, I keep coming back to a backstage ambiance - an urban, warehouse (or backstage) feel, perhaps entering the building from Federal St. through a purposely unsigned nondescript door to give the feeling like you are sneaking into the Theatre. Other offerings in the space could include pre and/or post show dinners (private dining rooms?), exclusive meet and greets with the shows performers, etc. It's a win-win: the restaurant operator gets a nice function space that's pre leased 80 nights out of the year and the Theatre gets a premium space for their FSS members which in turn helps them grow their membership, helping stabilize and grow their operations going forward.
3. Rooftop Dining: The challenge with a restaurant in this location I think is getting people to visit it when the Theatre is dark, in particular over the summer. Sidewalk dining these days is almost a must, and I think it could be done here especially on theater nights. Even more interesting, however is the idea of an urban rooftop dining destination. Check out these views from the roof:

View from Goral Bldg. Rooftop Looking West



View from Goral Bldg. Rooftop Looking Northwest (note large mural opportunity on side of Denholm Bldg.)



View from Goral Bldg. Rooftop Looking Southwest

It really does have a good urban feel to it, which I would think would give the operator a sustainable competitive advantage over other outdoor dining venues in town. The rooftop is big, I imagine a bar and dining room sized similarly to that of the ground floor restaurant. What a great place to go on a Saturday evening in the summer to catch a nice cool breeze and be surrounded by the lights of the city!

I could see a nice little Sunday Jazz Brunch tradition developing on the rooftop - and remember restaurants in MA can now serve real Mimosa's and Bloody Mary's starting at 10 am on Sundays! Locally grown food is all the rage these days, another unique opportunity here would be to build a rooftop garden on part of the roof that could supply the kitchen - talk about fresh lettuce! It's been done elsewhere check out this article from the Globe this summer - it's happening in Dorchester why not Worchester?