5 - Modern Line Furniture

VIPMODERNE 

Spring 2010 

Enter the Elite 

Reasons 

to Re-Style 

ModernLineFurniture.com 

Furniture 

Showcase 

Lease 

Negotiatons

WELCOME TO VIP MODERNE 

Very Important Products, Very Important Philosophies, for Very Important People 

Modern Line Furniture is a national supplier of 

cutting edge furniture for the nightclub, bar, restaurant, 

hospitality, and special event industries. 

With the introduction of VIP MODERNE, we aim 

to inform the owners of such varied establishments 

not only what we can offer them, but also how to improve 

their venue through both better products and best practices. 

Our primary goal, of course, is to provide durable furnishing 

options at wholesale prices. We work tirelessly to design, manufacture, 

and import all of our furniture, thereby cutting out the 

middlemen and providing best-in-class service to our customers. 

We are the only supplier in the United States that offers modular 

furniture for your indoor and outdoor facilities. 

We believe that utilizing modular furniture versus other furnishing 

options offers several advantages, such as lower initial investment, 

lower replacement costs, and the ability to change the 

layout of your establishment to suit the needs of your guests. 

When a patron enters your establishment, he or she needs 

to feel like a VIP, and Modern Line Furniture wants to help make 

that possible. By reading the articles presented in this publication 

IN THE VIP 

13 


Indoor Furniture 

Showcase 

Modern Line Furniture shows off its 

extensive and exquisite selection of indoor 

furniture for bars, clubs, lounges, and 

restaurants. 

18 Lease Negotiations 

20 Lighting and Sound 

and incorporating their physical and philosophical suggestions for 

improvement, we think your club can become an example of VIP 

MODERNE, as well as a modern MVP of the nightlife game. 

BORIS ZHURAVEL 

Director of Business Development, 

Modern Line Furniture 

02 Industry Overview 

04 Why Re-Style? 

06 Tequila 

Everyone’s favorite partystarter 

spirit sometimes gets 

a bad name for being rough 

on the palate. But we offer a 

look at some smooth 

sipping suggestions. 

07 Outdoor Furniture Showcase 

Just because the party is 

outside, doesn’t mean the 

furnishings should falter. 

Here’s what Modern Line 

Furniture can do for you. 

10 Top 5 Reasons To 

Create a VIP Room 

www.modernlinefurniture.com Spring 2010 | VIP Moderne Magazine 1

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: 

Additional survey results revealed a positive 

view of the coming year: 

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE 

You see, I just got back from three days of sailing 

around the Bahamas with some of the top club 

DJs in the world and 850 of their most rabid fans, 

thanks to the good people at Whet Travel and their 

fantastic Groove Cruise excursions. Rumor has it 

that our group consumed more alcohol over the three days than 

any Norwegian Cruise line has ever seen before. And those 850 

people? They spent nearly $1,000 each to drink and dance to 

their favorite DJs spinning house music. Granted, we were on a 

cruise ship in the middle of the Bahamas, but I think this says 

something very important about our industry: by land or by sea, 

if you give them what they want, the people will always pay to 

party. 

And back on land, that’s where you come in. Are you giving 

them what they want? Because, as a bar, club, or lounge owner, 

that should be your one-line job description. 

RANDOM PERSON: “What do you do for a living?” 

YOU: “I give people what they want.” 

It’s just that simple. And if you’ve read the last few issues 

of Bar Business Magazine, you know that, now more than ever, 

we are preaching customer service as the apex of the business 

plan pyramid in these times of constricted consumer budgets. 

All facets of your establishment should be influenced by the 

notion of providing a superior patron experience; with customer 

service at the top of the pyramid, everything underneath is a 

building block. 

By Chris Ytuarte 

Editor-in-Chief, 

Bar Business Magazine 

I’LL BE HONEST WITH YOU: RIGHT NOW, THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TO ME. 

THEN AGAIN, WHAT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FROM THE TOP DECK OF A LUXURY CRUISE SHIP? 

First, let’s look at some basic statistics that speak to the environment 

in which we are all working these days. A recent joint 

report from industry media company BevNET and staffing 

agency BEVFORCE surveyed over 1,000 beverage professionals, 

who showed continuing optimism on the state of our bar 

business. The survey indicated that industry professionals see 

hiring rates remaining consistent in 2010, with fewer layoffs and 

less internal restructuring. 

“Employment is typically a lagging economic indicator, so 

coming out of a recession, it’s assumed that jobs are the last 

thing to return,” said Josh Wand, President of BEVFORCE. 

“The beverage industry is ahead of the curve; not only has 

there been a steady flow of job opportunities available over the 

past few months, but as the economy continues to improve, we 

anticipate a continuous upswing in the number of jobs available 

for qualified beverage professionals.” 

75% of respondents anticipate positive growth for 

their company in 2010. 

67% of respondents think that their company will 

be hiring in 2010. 

75% of respondents feel secure in their current 

position, despite the current economic climate. 

6% of respondents think that their company will 

conduct a round of layoffs in 2010, while 25% 

conducted a round of layoffs in 2009. 

15% of respondents think that their company will go 

through a re-organization in 2010, while 34% 

reorganized in 2009. 

71% of respondents anticipate making new hires in 

2010, while in 2009 67% hired new employees and 

in 2008 69% hired new employees. 

The survey would seem to indicate that, if nothing else, 

on-premise professionals want to have a better year in 2010, 

and sometimes will-power can be a strong ally in creating the 

best opportunities. You’ve already made the decision to improve 

business, now you need the tools to execute—the first of which 

being knowledge. And that’s where we come in. 

Of course, additional statistics show that challenges still 

exist, but optimism remains. The Distilled Spirits Council of 

the United States (DISCUS) said that U.S. revenue for spirits 

makers was flat in 2009, despite the fact that sales volume rose 

slightly, indicating that budget-conscious consumers didn’t 

stop drinking all together, but likely turned to lower-cost drink 

choices. According to DISCUS, volume sales of the cheapest 

spirits rose 5.5 percent, while those at the highest price points 

saw their volume fall 5.1 percent. 

“We’re cautiously, cautiously hopeful that things will get a 


IN PRINT · IN PERSON · ONLINE 

little better,” said DISCUS CEO Peter Cressy. “If the economy 

continues to move forward and if we begin to see, in this first 

quarter, some return to job growth, I think things will get better. 

In our view, we can begin to see the light at the end of the 

tunnel here in the recession, but your guess is as good as ours 

how long that tunnel is.” 

The strongest performing beverage categories in 2009 were 

tequila, with a 5.2 percent rise in volume, vodka with a 4.9 

percent rise, and the brandy and cognac category with a 3.3 

percent increase. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 

cordial category fell 4.3 percent in volume sales. 

“The industry has always recovered in past recessions and 

the high-end share has always continued to grow,” said DIS- 

CUS Chief Economist David Ozgo. “I see no reason why the 

pattern would be broken.” 

But all the numbers in the world and all these statistics don’t 

add up to much without your customers coming through the 

door. Creating the best possible environment and experience 

for them should be priority #1, and that’s the only number you 

need to remember. This informative edition of VIP MODERNE 

is a great starting point for finding various ways to ensure that 

your VIP visions include every patron that bellies up to your 

bar. ML 

The Industry’s Premier How-To Resource 

BAR BUSINE$$ 

M A G A Z I N E 

www.barbizmag.com 

2 VIP Moderne Magazine | Spring 2010 www.modernlinefurniture.com 


5 

Reasons to Re-style 

Your Bar or Nightclub 

Furnishing a bar or nightclub is not something that only happens at opening. A successful 

venue should be re-styled more than once, because furniture wears and the “look” of a 

bar or club can lose its appeal over time. Whether you’re wondering if you should—or can 

afford to—update your look, this article is for you. Learn how to improve patronage and 

increase the sales in your establishment on any budget. 

The look of your bar or nightclub determines the 

prices you can charge for drinks and bottle service. 

Do you want to raise your drink prices by $2 or increase the 

price of the bottles by $50? Unless you improve the profile of 

your bar or nightclub, partygoers won’t react well to a hit to 

their wallet. For example, you can furnish a 1,000 square foot 

VIP room for as little as $5,000, and adding a new hip look to 

your bar will allow you to raise prices without losing patronage. 

2 

1 

Increasing patronage – people get bored of the 

“same old thing.” By updating your bar or nightclub’s look 

and feel, you can give your patrons a bar they can get excited 

about, even if they’ve been there before. These days, retailers 

offer prices that make it easy to re-style your establishment 

frequently while still effectively managing costs. 

Keeping up with the times. Have you ever walked into 

someone’s home and noticed that the furniture has not been 

changed since Nixon was president? Feels like you’re in a time 

warp, right? The same is true when it comes to bars and nightclubs. 

Your patrons want to go to the “it” bar in town, that 

looks like somewhere Jay-Z or Travis Barker would party. 


So now that you’ve decided to update the look of your 

bar or nightclub, you may find yourself wondering, 

“What do I do next?” While many bar owners enlist the 

services of a designer, often these professionals will buy 

furniture at regular retail prices and mark up the cost 

when they bill you. These days, the Internet makes it 

extremely easy find high-quality, low-cost, stylish furniture 

for your bar or nightclub on your own. 

There are suppliers out there that offer high-style, 

functionality, and superior service at a fraction of the 

price you would expect to pay at retail. They buy directly 

from the manufacturer and pass the savings along to you. 

Often you will find they have all their offerings in stock, 

3 

5 

Differentiate yourself from the competition. If you’re 

the only game in town, more power to you; but the majority of 

bars and nightclubs have stiff competition. When everyone in 

town is pouring the same beer and mixing the same drinks, it is 

the presentation that sets your establishment apart from everyone 

else. 

4 

Revenue, revenue, revenue, and more revenue. You 

got into the bar business to make money, and re-styling your bar 

or nightclub will allow you to raise prices, increase patronage 

and differentiate yourself from the competition, all of which puts 

more profits in your pocket! 

making delivery exceptionally speedy. 

Many suppliers offer customizable seating solutions to 

outfit everything from a VIP room to the main bar area. 

Such customizable options give you the ability to change 

up your look without having to incur the expense of buying 

new furniture. 

As a club owner, you have many decisions to make in 

order to ensure the success of your business, and re-styling 

your establishment should be the easiest. Furnishing 

your bar or nightclub with high-quality, functional furniture 

is an investment that will pay for itself in no time, 

and will bring you new and increased business. 



Discovering the REAL TEQUILA 

EVERYONE HAS A TEQUILA STORY 

There is a jingle that goes, “One tequila, two tequila, three tequila 

floor.” So it comes as no surprise that, for many, their first 

tequila experience also is their last. 

TEQUILA’S PRIDEFUL ROOTS 

Tequila’s earliest roots date back to the Aztecs, but the history 

of the spirit as we know it dates back four centuries, as a sipping 

delicacy shared among friends and family. Later, it became 

recognized as the national spirit of Mexico. 

True tequila is made from at least 51% blue agave, a succulent 

(not a cactus) that grows wild all over Mexico and 

Central America, and must be distilled and bottled in one of 

five Mexican states. Many quality tequilas are made from 100% 

blue agave, which take at least eight years to reach harvesting 

maturity. 

Over the years, mass marketers have convinced people that 

tequila should be disposed of quickly or mixed with something 

else to be enjoyed. More than 90 percent of people consume 

tequila as a shot or in a bright-colored concoction. But neither 

of those forms reflects the authentic Mexican tequila culture. 

RECLAIMING TEQUILA’S AUTHENTIC SPIRIT 

Today, tequila trends are shifting, with artisan sipping tequilas 

quickly gaining favor among new fans of the spirit, as well as 

those who are trying it again for the first time. These premium 

tequilas honor the original spirit of tequila as a sipping delicacy—a 

tradition that remains alive and well south of the border. 

Too many things in life speed by. But good tequila—pure 

tequila—takes time to mature to perfection. And good tequila 

should be sipped, and savored, at your own pace. 

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE 

Three types of tequila make up the majority of the premium sipping 

market and each one is crafted through unique distillation 

and aging approaches, resulting in distinctive aromas and tastes. 

Blanco (or Silver) 

Tequila purists often seek the most unmasked 

agave fl avor and infl uences of the land, so they 

reach for the blanco. Bottled directly following 

distillation without aging, the blanco can be 

enjoyed on its own, or as the base for a mixed 

drink. 

Reposado 

This “slightly rested” version is aged between 

two and twelve months in oak barrels, 

often giving it a smooth, slightly woody taste. 

The reposado offers the traditional agave 

infl uences with a wider variety of fl avors and 

complexities. 

Añejo 

The añejo is the scotch-fan’s tequila, and 

often is the version appreciated most by nontequila 

drinkers. Aged between one and three 

years, añejos mature in oak barrels hailing 

from different regions of the world. Some 

brands are aged in barrels that formerly held 

other spirits, such as cognac, whiskey, bourbon, 

or brandy, infusing familiar, but unique 

characteristics. 


To fully release the aromas and flavors of a premium sipping 

tequila, use a brandy snifter, caballito glass, or the official 

Riedel tequila glass. Some people like to sip them neat (straight 

up) while others like to add one ice cube to soften the spirit and 

release hidden features and attributes. 

Good sipping tequilas stand on their own—no lime, no salt, 

no gimmicks necessary. Just a little glass of history, sharing 

tequila’s long lost story, and winning over scorned skeptics, one 

sip at a time. ML 

6 VIP Moderne Magazine | Spring 2010 www.modernlinefurniture.com

ModernLineFurniture.com

5 Reasons to Add a 

VIP ROOM 

Have you been looking for a new way to increase revenue 

at your bar or nightclub? Here’s a relatively low-cost and 

easy-to-implement idea sure to catch your customer’s 

attention: a VIP room or area. Creating a VIP room takes some 

thought and planning, and to help you decide whether this 

venture is for you, we’ve put together a list of five reasons 

to add a VIP area to your establishment, along with some 

helpful tips on how to make your new VIP area a success. 

By Boris Zhuravel 

Director of Business Development, 

Modern Line Furniture 

1) EXCLUSIVITY – Everyone wants to feel like 

they’re part of an exclusive club where only the 

select few gain entry, and once members, people 

will pay-up for the privilege. Offering a VIP 

room or area in your bar or nightclub will give 

your deeper-pocketed guests their own private 

club for the night. Call it “the mystique of the 

velvet rope,” but where there are affluent guests, 

there are beautiful women; and where 

there are beautiful women, there are more affluent 

guests—and so the circle goes. 

2) PRIVACY FOR PRIVATE PARTIES – People 

love to celebrate birthdays, special holidays, 

league championships, you name it; these 

people are here to celebrate a common cause 

and don’t want to be scattered all over the 

place, they want their own space. A VIP area 

will allow you to accommodate these parties 

and charge the guests for the service, which 

brings us to #3 and #4… 


3) OFFER BOTTLE SERVICE - Bar Business 

Magazine recently wrote a story about bottle service. 

The article profiled Michael Ault, a bottle service 

pioneer who has opened over 25 nightclubs world 

wide. Mr. Ault isquoted as saying: “What [one of his 

clubs] achieves with three nights a week, other bars 

need seven nights of operation to achieve. That 

is the benefit of bottle service.” Words to the 

wise: Mr. Ault advises that bottle service is not 

optimal for every establishment and that in 

order to have a successful bottle service area, 

“you have to offer something really special.” 

This is where having top-notch furniture really 

makes a difference, as evidenced in the same 

article: “…bottle clubs work [because] they are 

the most beautiful clubs, they have the coolest 

vibes and coolest people…The physical arrangement 

of furniture plays a key in generating the 

right buzz in a bottle club.” 

4) OFFER A SPECIAL COCKTAIL SELECTION 

FOR VIP GUESTS – If you want to add to the 

aura of exclusivity, you can offer your VIP 

clients a special mixed cocktail menu that is not 

available to regular patrons. We’re not talking 

about substituting Bombay Sapphire for Gordon’s 

in a gin and tonic; we’re talking about a Sofia & 

Eros (1 ounce vodka, ½ ounce limoncello, ½ 

ounce raspicello, ½ ounce lemon juice). These 

are the kinds of exotic drinks with unusually 

unique ingredients that, when combined, 

are a treat to the taste buds. Although these 

drinks require more ingredients than a vodka and 

cranberry, the cost of making each drink is not 

that much greater. However, specialty drinks 

are routinely priced $5 to $10 higher than typical 

cocktails. 



5) ATTRACT CORPORATE CLIENTS – People who 

crunch numbers during the day want to party like 

rock stars at night. A VIP room will allow you to 

attract the ever-elusive corporate client by allow 

ing “the suits” to feel like very important people 

for an evening. Moreover, corporate reps need to 

entertain their clients in style, and what better place 

to bring an important client than the VIP room of 

the hottest bar or nightclub in town. Remember, 

when the company pays, people spend like crazy. 

It’s important to note that there is a right way and a 

wrong way to operate a VIP area in your establishment. 

You can’t just follow the “if you build it, they will come” 

philosophy—this is not Field of Dreams and you are not 

Kevin Costner. However, if operated correctly, a VIP area 

can generate a “Field of Green.” Here are some things to 

consider when opening and operating a VIP area: 

VIP Atmosphere. Create a luxury room or area that 

has great furniture and décor. Remember, a private room 

is not necessarily a VIP room—it has to ooze luxury. 

VIP Menus and Products. Bottle service, exclusive 

drinks, and food menus are some of the most basic VIP 

room offerings. It is vital to remember that presentation 

is everything. Be sure to train your staff to present the 

products well and offer unique service trays. How about 

a private bartender for the VIP room who mixes drinks 

like Tom Cruise in Cocktail by putting on a bottle 

tossing spectacle? You get the idea—make the 

environment special. 

VIP Staff. This is a people business, so you have to 

make sure that you have the best staff servicing your VIP 

clients. Also make sure that you have a designated security 

staff watching your VIP area. 

VIP List. Create a VIP list, talk to promoters and 

other contacts. Keep the list exclusive and difficult to get 

on. Send out special invites to VIP guests. Remember the 

little touches—call these people on their birthday, send 

special holiday cards or gifts. It’s these actions that make 

it fun and worthwhile to be a VIP. 

VIP Recognition Program. This is an important 

element. Throw special parties for your VIPs. Offer 

them incentives to come back. If a VIP spends a certain 

amount of money, give them a bottle on the house, and 

so on. 

The nightclub business is very competitive, and having 

a VIP room or area is a good way to separate yourself 

from the competition while putting more money in your 

own pocket. However, people won’t shell out the big 

bucks for no reason. They want more than just a place to 

sit and a bottle to drink—VIPs want 

to feel like very important 

people, and hopefully these 

tips will help you do that 

for them. ML 


12 VIP Moderne Magazine | Spring 2010 www.modernlinefurniture.com



GET A HEAD 

START 

The Basics of Commercial Space Leasing for Nightclub, Bar, 

and Restaurant Owners: A Conversation with Yana Zhuravel, Esq. 

One of the first things you do when opening up a bar, nightclub or 

restaurant is to lease a space that suits your needs. Finding a space 

and negotiating a lease is a time-consuming and complex process 

that is crucial to your success and bottom line. In fact, rent is the 

single largest expense for any establishment. VIP MODERNE spoke 

with Yana Zhuravel, an attorney in New York State who specializes in 

the nightclub and bar industry. Yana has helped dozens of nightclub 

and bar owners negotiate and structure their leases in order to limit 

the owners’ financial and legal liability. 

VIP MODERNE: What is the first step that a nightclub/bar/restaurant 

owner should take when leasing a space? 

ZHURAVEL: The first thing an owner should do is to become 

familiar with some of the basics and terminology of real estate 

leases and then enlist the help of a professional tenant representative 

to help find the right space at the right price. Also, the 

nightclub/bar/restaurant business is unique because it involves 

food and alcohol services. Therefore, enlisting the help of an 

experienced attorney to properly negotiate and structure the 

lease in accordance with the establishment’s operational needs 

will not only maximize the overall economics, but will also limit 

the owner’s liability exposure and allow for smooth ongoing 

business operation. An attorney can also help with satisfying 

building code, fire code, and licensing requirements. Any 

landlord will have a listing agent and an attorney on their team 

when working on a lease transaction, and you should do the 

same to protect your rights and interests. 

VIP MODERNE: Can the owner just let his attorney and tenant rep 

run with the leasing process? 

ZHURAVEL: Absolutely not! No one understands your business 

needs better than you. Think of the tenant rep and the attorney 

as advisors who will work on your behalf and provide you with 

information and counsel to achieve an optimal outcome. 

VIP MODERNE: What are some key elements of commercial real 

estate leases that a nightclub owner needs to understand? 

ZHURAVEL: The most critical element of a lease is the manner in 

which rent and operating expenses are denoted. There are four 

basic types of leases: absolute net, triple net, gross, and modified 

gross. Ultimately, you end up paying rent for the space plus 

a reimbursement for a certain part of the property operating 

expenses, and knowing the difference between these lease structures 

can help you compare rents at different properties and 

make sure that you’re getting the best deal. Here is a breakdown 

of each: 

Absolute Net. A net rent agreement simply means that the 

rental rate per square foot (as noted in the lease) is net of reimbursement 

for operating expenses. Under an absolute net lease 

the tenant reimburses the landlord for all operating expenses 

associated with the property. This is a common lease structure 

for a single-tenant building or a pad site. 

Triple Net Lease (NNN). This is similar to an absolute net 

lease, but here the tenant reimburses the landlord the pro-rata 

share of property operating expenses. 

Gross Lease. All operating expenses are included in the 

rent and the tenant is not required to pay additional reimbursements 

to the landlord. If you come across a gross lease, make 

sure you get a breakdown of expenses per square foot from 

the landlord so that you understand the amount of operating 

expenses at the property. Being able to quantify these two components 

of the rent may help you to negotiate a better deal and 

can help you compare a gross lease rate to a NNN lease rate. 

Modified Gross Lease. This is the most complicated lease 

structure, as it requires the tenant to reimburse the landlord the 

pro-rata share of property operating expenses above a certain 

base year. Sounds complicated, right? Here is an example. Let’s 

say that you leased 10,000 square feet in a 100,000 square foot 

property in 2009 for $10 per square foot. 2009 will serve as 

your base year. In 2009, operating expenses were $100,000, 

but in 2010 these expenses increased to $200,000. You are now 

responsible to reimburse the landlord 10% of the $100,000 

increase in expenses of $10,000. 

VIP MODERNE: What are some other lease elements that a bar 

owner needs to know about? 

ZHURAVEL: This is a very comprehensive question, so allow me 

to provide a quick checklist of some key things that come to 

mind: 

Lease Term. The duration of a lease can range from monthto-month 

(MTM) to 25 years. A short-term lease carries a risk 

of rental increases, while a long term lease exposes the owner to 

significant long-term liability. 

Extension Options. A great feature because it provides 

short-term security and eliminates long-term liability. If you’re 

opening up a new lounge concept and are uncertain of its success, 

you can sign a three- or five-year lease with several extension 

options to be exercised at the discretion of the tenant. 

Tenant Improvement Allowance (TI). Landlords frequently 

offer reimbursement of improvement expenses that you 

make to your space. You should look at TIs as a loan to buildout 

your space. A lot of times a landlord will offer you an extra 

TI allowance in return for a higher rent. When you compare the 

upfront allowance to the rent increase, you’ll find that you’re 

being charged an interest rate between 10% and 20%, so be 

careful when accepting such an offer. You can always request 

a TI allowance from the landlord as part of your negotiating 

strategy, but be careful if he increases the rent as a result. 

Exclusive Use Clause. This allows you to make sure that 

the landlord can’t lease space to a similar establishment at the 

property without your permission to avoid competition. 

Liability. Make sure that your liability is limited only to activities 

within your leased space and not the common areas. For 

example, if someone is walking in front of your restaurant and 

falls on the sidewalk (which is considered a common area), you 

don’t want to be named party to a lawsuit as a result. A liability 

waiver is especially critical if the landlord is responsible for 

cleaning the snow or any other debris in front of your establishment. 

You should not be responsible for the accident if it’s the 

landlord’s responsibility to take preventative measures. 

Hours of Operation. Make sure that your lease expressly 

states your permissible hours of operation. I’ve seen many clients 

who ran into significant problems because they overlooked 

this critical clause in the lease. Also be mindful that sometimes 

landlords will require your establishment to stay open during 

certain off-peak hours (or holidays), which may not be beneficial 

for you and your business. 

Grace Period. This is a rent-free period (typically two to six 

months) given to the bar owner to perform build-out. It’s really 

important to negotiate a grace period because you don’t want 


to pay rent during the time that your business is not operational. 

Grace periods are standard, so don’t let anyone tell you 

otherwise, but it’s up to you and your attorney to negotiate the 

best deal possible. 

There are countless other nuances to consider when analyzing 

and structuring lease agreements such as insurance requirements, 

exclusive parking space allowances, zoning and fire code 

compliance and ingress/egress easements, just to name a few. 

VIP MODERNE: Do you have any parting words for our readers? 

ZHURAVEL: Leasing sounds like a fairly straight-forward process: 

find a space, lease a space, open for business. However, this 

process has certain complexities that need to be recognized and 

addressed, so if you decide not to seek the assistance of a legal 

or real estate professional, you should do some research on real 

estate leases so that you may understand your financial and 

legal liability exposure. ML 

Yana Zhuravel is a practicing attorney in New York State. She 

specializes in real estate, construction, business and licensing 

issues, and serves the nightclub, bar and restaurant industries in 

the New York City area. 

The information contained in this article is provided for information 

purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any 

subject matter. No recipients of content from this article should act or 

refrain from acting on the basis of any content contained in this article 

without seeking proper legal consultation based on their specific facts 

from an attorney licensed in the reader’s state. The content in this article 

is general information and may not reflect current legal developments. 

Yana Zhuravel, Esq., expressly disclaims all liability in respect 

to actions taken or not taken based on any content of this article. 

Yana Zhuravel, Esq. 

Providing Tailored Legal Services for the Nightclub, 

Bar and Restaurant Industries 

Yana Zhuravel helps owners and investors limit their 

legal liability and ensure smooth, continuous operation 

to maximize profitability. 

• Commercial Leasing: Drafting, Review and 

Negotiation of Real Estate and Equipment Leases. 

• Business Organization: Creation and Dissolution 

of Corporations and Partnerships 

• License Procurement and Renewal: Liquor 

Licenses and Café/Sidewalk Permits 

• Employee Manuals: Limit Your Liability for the 

Actions of Your Employees 

• Regulatory Violation Defense 

• Collections 

• Real Estate Law 

Yana Zhuravel, Esq. 

2753 Coney Island Avenue, #212 Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235 

Tel: (347) 579-9262 Fax: (347) 710-1908 



DIVINE LAB 

INTERVENTION 

If there’s one company that knows 

how to put it all together, it’s Sound 

Investment Audio (SIA). With 

projects such as LIV at the Fontainebleau 

in Miami or Cielo in New 

York under its belt, as well as several spots 

throughout Las Vegas and Los Angeles, this 

company has designed the hottest nightclubs 

and lounges in the country. Having 

enhanced the sound systems at most of the 

W Hotel lounges in the country, as well as 

other hot boutique hotel venues throughout 

the U.S., it’s no surprise that SIA is on the 

entertaiment industry’s cutting edge. We 

spoke with SIA’s David Sullivan (dsullivan@ 

soundinvestmentav.com): 

VIP Moderne: What are some of the latest 

nightclub technical gear trends? 

SIA: In the world of audio, the use of digital 

control and processing has become a growing 

trend. We have been the leaders in this highend 

technology for about ten years. We see a 

more sophisticated club owner and club goer. 

Why? Because all of the media they work with, 

listen to, and enjoy themselves is digital, so 

their standards are higher, with high signalto-noise 

ratio. The use of digital has also enhcanced 

power amplifer technology to create a 

more efficient—dare we say, green—product. 

The use of LED lights and video has 

almost taken over the way clubs are lit and 

designed. LEDs are extremely reliable; they 

have high lamp life (40,000 to 50,000 hours 

compared to 6,000 hours on more traditional 

lamps) and low heat. Video creates a dynamic 

visual, and the latest technology fits within 

most budgets. All this technology leads to 

lower costs for the owner/operator. 

An interview with Sound Investment Audio 

Visit any high-end nightclub or lounge and you 

will ffiifi nd yourself in awe of the entire experience—the 

room, the atmosphere, the music, the 

party. But what really ignites your senses is the 

dynamic mix of sound, lighting, and video— 

three elements that will make (or break) a venue. 

VIP Moderne: What are some of the latest 

nightclub design trends? 

SIA: We are seeing more clubs and lounges 

developed in local areas, as a opposed to everyone 

wanting to invest in the latest big city 

hotspot. We see this in our office in the L.A. 

area. We’ve had a big boom in this area where 

people used to travel to Vegas every weekend 

but now are staying and partying local. Also, 

lounges have become very popular, and are 

much easier to fill and make your money 

back. We are seeing more of what we describe 

as “architainment” type spaces. 

Examples of this would be mixed-use 

space, like a resturant with a DJ that converts 

into a lounge, or a retail space that converts 

into a bar. World-famous tattoo artist Mario 

Barth just opened a tattoo parlor in Las Vegas 

that becomes a lounge at night. We see this 

trend growing as a way for owners to maxamize 

the use of a space and generate more 

revenue from a larger group of customers. 

VIP Moderne: What should a client’s main 

priorities be when installing a new system? 

SIA: Find the right people and bring them on 

early in the design process. Audio is sometimes 

the last thing owners think about and it 

usually gets the smallest cut of the budget on 

a project. But without sound there is no club! 

Without a quality system, customers will not 

stay for long periods and tend not to order as 

many beverages. When we design an entertainment 

venue, we design it to be successful. 

We design it as if it’s our place—a place we 

would want to stay and play. 

VIP Moderne: What should be avoided when 

designing a place? 

SIA: Here are five things we suggest an owner 

NOT do when looking to hire a sound/lighting/video 

contractor: 

1. Don’t let your DJ install your sound system, 

lights, or video. This is a fatal mistake. A great 

DJ knows where his talent ends and where the 

talent of a systems contractor begins. 

2. The guitar player at the big chain/local 

music store is not the right guy to design or 

install your sound system. 

3. Avoid the person who says he has a friend 

who can get you gear at cost. The only things 

he can get you might be five years in the slammer 

for owning stolen equipment or some 

offshore gear that you will be replacing every 

three weeks. 

4. Whenever we hear, “My interior designer or 

architect or electrican are taking care of that,” 

we ask, ‘Would you let them pick your alcohol 

selection? Then why would you let them 

handle your sound and lighting system, which 

is a part of your cash-generating machine?’ 

This is not their area of expertise. ML 



For more information, contact: 

MODERN LINE FURNITURE 

1296 Lawrence Street 

Rahway, NJ 07065 

800-637-5596 

www.modernlinefurniture.com

5 - Modern Line Furniture

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