Landing lands Chicago-style night club

[Captain Zissou]

It may just be my taste, but I don't like bars that imitate other better places that I've been to and where I would much rather be.  Don't throw a purple beaded necklace around my neck and tell me I'm on Bourbon Street.  Don't dress my server up in boots and a vest and tell me I'm in Nashville.  Similarly, don't make me dance on asphalt and tell me I'm in Chicago.  It's dumb and it rarely comes across as intended.  I'd rather have that proposed "jungle themed" place that fell through.  Maybe their dance floor would be made of grass.  That would be a whole lot better than this parking lot.

I would say Dos Gatos is more similar to rush street than this will be.  Why? Because they are both tastefully done and well executed. 

So... I wish the Butabi brothers well, but I just don't like the concept.

[Coolyfett]

Seems very interesting. I hope the last long and bring more action to the Northbank. Southbank should try to get some nite action on their side of the river...but I guess you have to crawl before you walk lol.

[fieldafm]

Where is the second Rush street? 

Fleming Island

Do the other 2 have the pointless theme??

Yes

And by that logic, Lit... which I think is by far the coolest space architecturally in downtown should be as popular as any place in America.

Field, I honestly think they could open a Captain D's at the Landing and you'd defend it to high heaven, because you for some reason love all things Landing.  I do not feel that way, so I can see this for what it is.  A gimmick. 

I think you are well aware how much I also criticize certain things about the Landing. 
That being said, it IS indeed the centerpiece downtown and still gets BY FAR the most people downtown than the Jags/Suns/Jazz Festival/and all of the bars of The Core combined... so I see it for what it is and what it can be, rather than what its not like most everyone else here.

[Coolyfett]

First off, they're going to cannibalize their own restaurant 100 yards away by serving the same type of food??

No, it will be like the Rush Street location at the beach... which is very successful and is a dance club/bar. 

Two of the major entertainment parcels at the Landing are now filled by businesspeople who operate successful venues in other parts of the city.

How exactly is this news that everyone should be negative about?

Of course, closing is schedule for November 4/5th.

you beat me to it!

Again with the negativity.  This is not a temporary space.

Around 2005 2006 there was a nice club on the upper level of the Landing, facing the river. I cant remember the name of the club only went there twice. but it was a nice place and the view of the river from the club was cool.

[fieldafm]

That was Club Paris.

[urbanlibertarian]

Seems very interesting. I hope the last long and bring more action to the Northbank. Southbank should try to get some nite action on their side of the river...but I guess you have to crawl before you walk lol.

Yeah, like Sherwood's isn't nite action.

[ProjectMaximus]

First off, they're going to cannibalize their own restaurant 100 yards away by serving the same type of food??

No, it will be like the Rush Street location at the beach... which is very successful and is a dance club/bar. 

Two of the major entertainment parcels at the Landing are now filled by businesspeople who operate successful venues in other parts of the city.

How exactly is this news that everyone should be negative about?

Of course, closing is schedule for November 4/5th.

you beat me to it!

Again with the negativity.  This is not a temporary space.

I don't think it's a slam dunk, but I'm certainly optimistic about these new spaces. If nothing else, it will be a definitive new test for what ails the Landing. Can proven, successful entertainment destinations bring their business models to the Landing and replicate even a portion of that success? Or is it the locations that allow those businesses to be successful where they are?

[ProjectMaximus]

^ Agreed Lucas.  One location is calm and quiet with a beer over dinner.  The second location is hoppin with activity and allows finger food with your cocktail next to a dance floor.

Besides, both are under the same owner.  How is that canibalizing?

Cannibalization is generally a reference used for a single business eating into its own revenue. Or a non-profit organization eating into its own donor base. http://www.answers.com/topic/cannibalization

Gale Encyclopedia of Small Business:
Cannibalization

Cannibalization is a phenomenon that results when a firm develops a new product or service that steals business or market share from one or more of its existing products and services. Thus one product may take sales from another offering in a product line. Although the idea of cannibalization may seem primarily negative, it also has some positive implications. In the evolving world of E-commerce, some companies are intentionally choosing to cannibalize their retail sales through bargain-priced online offerings.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/cannibalization#ixzz1ZpXxV1pH

[Captain Zissou]

Max, exactly.  The same ownership group opening two similar venues in an area with scant attendance is textbook cannibalism.  The question is does Rush Street help to draw in a broader audience to benefit both Chicago Pizza and Rush Street, or does Rush just steal business from Chicago Pizza?  I am of the opinion (which is confirmed by the article) that the two will just split the customer base in half based on preference, rather than grow the customer base beyond what is already there.

This is not like the beach where they are just taking a larger percentage of a very large population.  Other than Fl/GA, there is never a night where the crowd is large enough at the Landing that both venues could fill up without stealing customers from each other.

[fieldafm]

But yet, Scott is a genious for opening three bars within a 100 feet of each other because his customer base is so much more diverse?

Chicago Pizza=restaurant/bar on the water
Rush Street=bar/dance club on the courtyard

How is that any different?

I don't think it's a slam dunk, but I'm certainly optimistic about these new spaces.

That to me is a reasonable response.  Remember when everyone said 'gee, Jim Bailey's approach to hitting a bunch of base hits downtown sounds reasonable'?  Well, isn't a Landing that is slowly filling up with new tenants not a base hit?

Some positive news downtown, and people just throw up their hands and say 'it will never work' without the business even opening yet.  No wonder downtown is dead.

[duvaldude08]

Im starting to notice soon as anyone says the word "landing" metrojacksonville goes crazy! Its like no matter what it is, if it has to do with the Landing, its always a huge debate. Can someone explain this to me??

[John P]

I have some observations. The Landing becomes crowded many nights not just Florida Georgia weekend. I also trust the owner of the new business knows what he is doing better than Captain. If theres one thing apparent from reading Metrojacksonville is that everyone thinks theyre an expert. Field, downtown is not dead. There are a lot of places to and venues to visit compared to most of the city. Residents are only missing sort of like just add water.

[John P]

The cost of the space is also important to consider. It may be very cheap who knows.

[comncense]

...heh

[fieldafm]

The Landing becomes crowded many nights not just Florida Georgia weekend.

You are absolutely right about that, but people around these parts only complain without actually going and seeing with their own eyes.  Hell, The Landing was packed this weekend.

This is actually a great time to open a business downtown... rents are in line with the market for probably the first time in decades.  That's usually when you start to see the normal cycling process start the upward trend.