Good Views, Old Buildings Only A Part Of Nautica
By Tim O'Brien
Monday, May 4 1998
Monday, May 4 1998
Published on AllBusiness.com
The Nautica Entertainment Complex is a thriving example of the hottest trend in retail — venue convergence.
Located on the west banks of the Cuyahoga River in the downtown area known as The Flats, the 10-acre complex mixes together restaurants, bars and nightclubs, shopping, major concerts, festivals and events, a river cruise, loft rental apartments, a banquet room, art galleries, a boardwalk along the river, and an upscale video and arcade game room.
"Our mix attracts great crowds," said Paul Ertel, Nautica's general manager. "On a warm summer evening this is definitely the place to be. We have no turnstiles, but we estimate yearly attendance at around 7 million."
There are 2,200 parking spaces at the complex, and Ertel points out parking is controlled by Jacobs Entertainment and is a major revenue source for them.
He uses Shooter's Waterfront Cafe U.S.A. to illustrate the volume of traffic that comes into the complex. "According to the National Restaurant Assn., Shooter's is the highest-grossing restaurant in Ohio annually, and for most of its existence here, has been the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States during July and August," Ertel told AB.
Nautica was developed and is now run by Jacobs Entertainment of Cleveland, which in turn is wholly owned by the Jacobs family, who owns Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians and Jacobs Field.
Ertel said the complex advertises with the "bring the body on down" philosophy. "Only 4% of our marketing budget is spent on direct advertising," he said. "The rest is spent on events and concerts, things that make this a destination."
He said the events and concerts are value-added benefits to the tenants. "They each have their own clientele, and the people we bring down are over and above the crowds they normally would have here."
THE FACILITY
This area of The Flats was used for warehousing and light industry, then sat empty and decaying until the early 1980s. Jacobs Entertainment purchased the land in 1984 and began to build Jeff Jacobs' vision. Today, the Nautica complex is housed in three buildings. Built in 1892, The Powerhouse was created to power Cleveland's streetcar system. It was gutted and renovated and opened to the public in 1988.
Inside The Powerhouse, the T.G.I. Friday's franchise is owned by the Jacobs family. Other facilities in the building include: The Improv Comedy Club; Rock Bottom Brewery; Howl at the Moon Saloon; and Powerplay, a large arcade which is a 21-and-over facility after 9 p.m. The Windows on the River banquet facility, which holds up to 1,500 people, is located on two floors of The Powerhouse,
Located on the west banks of the Cuyahoga River in the downtown area known as The Flats, the 10-acre complex mixes together restaurants, bars and nightclubs, shopping, major concerts, festivals and events, a river cruise, loft rental apartments, a banquet room, art galleries, a boardwalk along the river, and an upscale video and arcade game room.
"Our mix attracts great crowds," said Paul Ertel, Nautica's general manager. "On a warm summer evening this is definitely the place to be. We have no turnstiles, but we estimate yearly attendance at around 7 million."
There are 2,200 parking spaces at the complex, and Ertel points out parking is controlled by Jacobs Entertainment and is a major revenue source for them.
He uses Shooter's Waterfront Cafe U.S.A. to illustrate the volume of traffic that comes into the complex. "According to the National Restaurant Assn., Shooter's is the highest-grossing restaurant in Ohio annually, and for most of its existence here, has been the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States during July and August," Ertel told AB.
Nautica was developed and is now run by Jacobs Entertainment of Cleveland, which in turn is wholly owned by the Jacobs family, who owns Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians and Jacobs Field.
Ertel said the complex advertises with the "bring the body on down" philosophy. "Only 4% of our marketing budget is spent on direct advertising," he said. "The rest is spent on events and concerts, things that make this a destination."
He said the events and concerts are value-added benefits to the tenants. "They each have their own clientele, and the people we bring down are over and above the crowds they normally would have here."
THE FACILITY
This area of The Flats was used for warehousing and light industry, then sat empty and decaying until the early 1980s. Jacobs Entertainment purchased the land in 1984 and began to build Jeff Jacobs' vision. Today, the Nautica complex is housed in three buildings. Built in 1892, The Powerhouse was created to power Cleveland's streetcar system. It was gutted and renovated and opened to the public in 1988.
Inside The Powerhouse, the T.G.I. Friday's franchise is owned by the Jacobs family. Other facilities in the building include: The Improv Comedy Club; Rock Bottom Brewery; Howl at the Moon Saloon; and Powerplay, a large arcade which is a 21-and-over facility after 9 p.m. The Windows on the River banquet facility, which holds up to 1,500 people, is located on two floors of The Powerhouse,