October 11, 2010
Downtown News 11
DowntownNews.com
ers are urged to follow his dining suggestions, which are based on what is fresh. Nozawa has been known to refuse serving people who ask for California Rolls, spicy tuna or other items that veer from a purist sushi aesthetic. “This community is growing and we wanted to be part of it,” said Tom Nozawa, the chef’s son and a partner in Sugarfish. “I think it’s great having all these other restaurants around us.” Sugarfish has two other locations, in Marina del Rey and Brentwood. The Downtown spot at 600 W. Seventh St. will have a similar modern, casual vibe as the other two. Cameron Broumand, also a partner in Sugarfish, said they chose their location partly based on the vibrancy of the Seventh Street corridor. “For a long time Downtown was a place you didn’t go to,” said Broumand. “Bottega Louie across the street really kind of sold this area for us, and from a location standpoint, Seventh and Grand is probably the closest to all the things you want to do Downtown. The more synergy over here, the more people are drawn to the area, the better for us.” The Louie Factor Bottega Louie was not the first restaurant to open on Seventh Street. But it was the one that changed everything. With more than 200 employees and a sprawling,
10,000-square-foot space at 530 W. Seventh St., the upscale market and sit-down eatery is packed day and evening, weekdays and weekends. Its owners, a group of investors known as the Beverly Hills Food Company, settled on the space on the ground floor of the otherwise empty Brockman Building after carefully researching the area. They spent about three months surveying activity and monitoring pedestrian traffic before opening in April 2009. The full house has made it easier for the DCBID and people like Derrick Moore to sell the neighborhood. As vice president of brokerage services at real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, Moore helped pen the deals for Bottega Louie and restaurants including Soi 7, at 518 W. Seventh St., and even the Subway a few doors down. “Bottega Louie has almost been that beacon for Seventh Street, for restaurants and other retailers to say, ‘Look what we’ve done and come and join us,’” he said. He noted that despite the weak economy, there is still a lot of interest in the area. “It’s an ideal place to have all of the retail come together,” he said. “You have the Metro station, foot traffic from the Financial District, L.A. Live, and having restaurants clustered there really does create a critical mass and a focal point for consumers.” The rents have helped. Moore said that after the economy
started to go south, rates along the corridor dropped from about $3.50 to $2.50 per square foot. James Doell is one of those who has reaped the rewards of the street’s culinary evolution. The owner of the Thai restaurant Soi 7 saw his original opening delayed by construction issues. Instead Soi 7 debuted last November and, with crowds already spurred by Bottega Louie, Doell said he sees 300 to 500 customers daily. “The cluster helps,” he said of the restaurant concentration. “This area is a destination.” Of course, not even the best-laid plans and biggest crowds can prevent unforeseen problems. In late summer, a Downtown outpost of the Irish pub and restaurant Dublin’s debuted at 815 W. Seventh St. On Sept. 29, it was shut down by the Los Angeles County Department of Health because some upgrades were done to the kitchen without the proper permits, said Amaka Oranusi, a department official. Oranusi said the owners must submit an application for the upgrades before they can reopen. As of late last week, the phone at Dublin’s was disconnected. Two things are for sure though: Once Dublin’s gets its house in order, it will have an ample Seventh Street dining audience to woo. But it will also have a lot of competition. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
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