Thread: The PERFECT Restuarant- Input needed

Hi Bhuzzers,

If you could build - participate in the building- of an ideal restaurant, what would be on your wish list?

I have this opportunity. I want input from the professional dancers/performers here. What is the ideal gig? What makes a great restaurant? DJ or live band? Rotation of dancers each week or set house dancers? Assuming the location being central, what else would you focus on? Is a house dancer, who would also schedule important? Would it be better if the owner/Manager did all the scheduling?

I am aware of paying the going rates for our city and being professional etc.. What else should I be aware of?

Any input would be helpful. ..g.:

A dressing room!!! PLEASE for the love of God!!! ..l;,

A good sound system where you don't have to climb onto a desk to put in your cd. Or a (good) DJ is even better.

A dressing room that ISN'T attached through the kitchen.

I think a large pool of dancers is nice, but not always possible depending on your area or clientele. Some customers like "their" dancer.

I like it better when a dancer does the scheduling.

LOL yes a dressing room would be unbelievably nice! One that locks, with a full length mirror. Ahh, dreaming big :P

I would love to have a live band to dance to...by 'band' i mean more than a keyboardist. If not, a nice sound system is enough for me. A dance floor with no floor boards missing (yes there's a restaurant here that has missing boards and it's awful). Large enough to do veil without hitting people. People are able to see the show from any seat.

Show starts at x time, every time so dancer doesn't need to wait and she can tell people when the show is. A set of house dancers is great; depending on the # of days you want dancing, people like to see variety.

Payment is fast, made in cash, and restaurant staff/owners are friendly. Restaurant itself is clean and in a nice neighborhood with plenty of parking. That would be a great restaurant to dance at!

..g.: These are great! Keep 'em coming!..g.:

Not a professional but...easy parking and free parking - or if a major city, easily accessible by safe public transport. You want your friends, fans, and students to be able to come see you dance without transportation being a big hassle.

Originally Posted by Safiyah

A dance floor with no floor boards missing (yes there's a restaurant here that has missing boards and it's awful). Large enough to do veil without hitting people. People are able to see the show from any seat.

restaurant staff/owners are friendly. Restaurant itself is clean and in a nice neighborhood with plenty of parking. That would be a great restaurant to dance at!

Missing boards? That's insane! Ok. I'll make sure.

Friendly? Ok Check! ..g.: Anything else jump out at you? Thanks for the input everyone!

There was a place I worked where I absolutely loved the set up so I would copy a lot from that: large spotlessly clean marble dance floor, big flat screen tvs on either side of the stage that play the dancer while she performs, a 5-6 piece band set up on a stage behind me playing the music I want, dressed up wealthy Arab clientele who tip well.

In addition to that I would say a nice changing room with a sofa and well lit mirrors, maybe only 3 or 4 really good dancers on rotation with the boss scheduling. Valet parking for the dancer ;)

Dressing room with full length mirror with locks, with the ability to enter and exit the room without disturbing the entire kitchen delivery system.

Knowing your dance dates two weeks to a month in advance so that you can tell people to come (folk with kids can't just come at the drop of a hat). I like the big flat screen suggestion.

If the owner has particular requirements, to be specific about it. e.g. if you want a certain kind of music, be able to name some songs that fit in the category or if they are very picky have a playlist. If the owner wants three sets of 10 mins each, for them to say "I'd like 3 sets of 10 mins each" rather than try to hint at what they require.

Nice floor, glass and liquid free. I admit to prefering nice carpet in a restaurant setting, as my feet get really cold on marble or tile.

Somewhere to put your props mid set when you are only using them for part of a set, where they can't be pinched.

Code of conduct for the dancers (perhaps get the dancers to work out the specifics of this). As one dancers actions have repercussions for the rest of the dancers.

No obstacle courses! Dodging tables, columns, fountains, room dividers, steps, plants and candles gets old. Easily solved by a big dance floor or stage.

No weird sections where there's barely enough room for the diners, let alone the dancer.

Ditto to the above. But also...
Show length. If it's an American audience- right around 20 minutes. If it's an Arab audience it can be SLIGHTLY longer, but not too much. Each show is paid for. If there is a long wait around time there is no discount for subsequent shows. There is never "wait around" and then "sorry no show, it's too slow". Have the dancer do a REAL show, not pop song after pop song. Hire dancers who know the difference. If she is to do more than one show, there should be a costume change.
Band- the band HAS to be good. They should play what the dancer requests (although if they are experienced also should make some suggestions based on the patrons of the evening). The dancers should be experienced enough to go with the flow and understand different kinds of music, just in case.
If the band is not up to playing well for a dancer- let the dancer work with CD. She can provide a break for the band. It's better to have a good show to CD than to have a band that still needs work before they are "dancer ready". Conversely- if you have a fabulous band who can play for dancers - you should have dancers who do the band justice.
Better to have a few dancers who are top par than to have tons of dancers of various quality. You'll be paying good money- get good dancers.

Waitstaff should do their best to steer clear of the dancer. We don't have eyes on the back of our heads and we move A LOT. We have veils, canes and swords that take up space. It's only 20 minutes or so out of their shift. Swords do not come with rear view mirrors- I can't see behind me when balancing on my head and I can't spin my head around to look. Waitstaff should know this. Waitstaff should ALSO know it's OK to interact and smile at the dancer when she is performing. A little staff interaction can help an American audience liven up.
In an Arab audience place, owner/manager or other employee should pick up floor tips. What to DO with tips (floor tips) when dancing with a band needs to be worked out ahead of time. Costume tips are the for dancer.
...

I will reiterate the importance of visibility of the dance floor and HAVE a wood dance floor. Wood is better than tile as for some reason tile seems to have grease float on top of it more. Please plan ahead to have a good cleaning crew!
IF you have a large place, consider having two levels- with the tables farther back slightly higher. Consider having a small stage for the musicians. A dance floor for the dancer will accommodate open dancing AND will also encourage traditional ME friendly audience interaction. If you have a stage for the dancer she will be and feel "removed" from her audience. That is what theater shows are for.
Make it a SHOW. The music needs to be noticeably louder. If you can do something special/different with lights, do so. Make it a whole EXPERIENCE and your audience will have something to really talk about. Consider being MP3 compatible with your system, not just Cds.
Advertise, advertise, advertise. Budget for this.
"Make nice" with the dance community and work with them for students shows at times you would not ordinarily be busy (like Sunday afternoons or evenings). This helps you AND the dance community.

Ooooooooo good thread. One of my goals is to open my own ME restaurant.

I work a restaurant every so often that has a little blurb on the back of the menu that encourages tipping dancers. This is ideal for a restaurant that caters to a more American audience because they often don't know that tipping is customary and welcome. The blurb encourages tipping and states acceptable ways to tip your dancers (ie sides of belt, money shower, back of bra straps.) I have never been tipped by an American audience like I am at this restaurant and I am grateful for the help from the owner/management on encouraging this behavior.

Great tips, Ladies.

{taking copious notes}

One restaurant in my area has a great set-up. Dressing room with full-length mirror, "dresser" for placing your makeup/cds/etc. while you dress, electrical outlet, hangers for street clothes/coverup/costumes - also is heated/cooled depending on the weather.
Dance floor is entirely carpet - I'm torn on this - carpet is nice and soft and easy to dance across, but gets pretty filthy and, while vacuumed daily, is rarely shampooed. Feet get a little dirty if you opt not to wear sandles/heels. Carpet is super tricky to wear ballroom shoes on. I destroyed the soles on one pair as they dragged across the carpet instead of sliding easily as they would have on hardwood.
The music system is ok - plays cds or ipod well - volume and accoustics are great. Plenty of room for live bands, which visit often.
*** The owner also introduces the dancers!!! Love this!! First he welcomes the audience, asks about birthdays and celebrations (also helpful because you can peek out and get an idea of who to first get up to dance).
Parking outside the restaurant is both free and ample -- I know this isn't always possible depending on location, but it sure is nice to not have to circle looking for parking or park a mile away.
The dancer rotation is fixed so there is no need for a scheduler. The owner takes care of any substitutions if needed - he has built a fantastic reputation over DECADES of business and has wonderful relationships with all his dancers, and then some!

Originally Posted by Khalilah

One restaurant in my area has a great set-up. Dressing room with full-length mirror, "dresser" for placing your makeup/cds/etc. while you dress, electrical outlet, hangers for street clothes/coverup/costumes - also is heated/cooled depending on the weather.
Dance floor is entirely carpet - I'm torn on this - carpet is nice and soft and easy to dance across, but gets pretty filthy and, while vacuumed daily, is rarely shampooed. Feet get a little dirty if you opt not to wear sandles/heels. Carpet is super tricky to wear ballroom shoes on. I destroyed the soles on one pair as they dragged across the carpet instead of sliding easily as they would have on hardwood.
The music system is ok - plays cds or ipod well - volume and acoustics are great. Plenty of room for live bands, which visit often.
*** The owner also introduces the dancers!!! Love this!! First he welcomes the audience, asks about birthdays and celebrations (also helpful because you can peek out and get an idea of who to first get up to dance).
Parking outside the restaurant is both free and ample -- I know this isn't always possible depending on location, but it sure is nice to not have to circle looking for parking or park a mile away.
The dancer rotation is fixed so there is no need for a scheduler. The owner takes care of any substitutions if needed - he has built a fantastic reputation over DECADES of business and has wonderful relationships with all his dancers, and then some!

This sounds like heaven!.w.:.w.: I'm loving the description. This is going to be so overwhelming - exciting too!

Originally Posted by Vasha_Hatal

In addition to that I would say a nice changing room with a sofa and well lit mirrors, maybe only 3 or 4 really good dancers on rotation with the boss scheduling. Valet parking for the dancer ;)

Love it! ..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,

Lots of good ideas so far!
I also like the idea of the perfect dressing room... Locked, well lit, many mirrors and a place to sit down and relax in between sets. How about a small fridge stocked with bottled water so you don't have to run out in your cover up and bu the wait staff or bar tender for a glass? It would be nice to have a place to store some items so you don't have to lug them with you every time you perform- an extra cover up, an extra veil, safety pins, maybe some extra makeup, that kind of thing.
I know it's not always the best set up for restaurants but plenty of room between the tables would encourage me to spend more time dancing among the tables. In crowded isles I just feel in the way of the wait staff and patrons, and often times feel like no one can see me among the patrons so some times I rush through.
I looove the idea of valet parking for the dancers, I had that at one club and appreciated it VERY much! It was nice not to have to lug all my things though a dark parking lot after getting a really crappy spot all the way in the back- god forbid I forgot anything in my car!
So many dancers enjoy using Ipods now that it would be nice to have a sound system that would support that!

Originally Posted by AngelaDiCaprio

Ooooooooo good thread. One of my goals is to open my own ME restaurant.

Me toooo!


I want to create the perfect venue here in the D.C. area. I'm tired of Casablanca being the center of events, haflas, shows, etc. Really. I've been thinking about it for a year now. When the economy gets better, I think I can start saving. That'd be a dream come true.

Wouldn't it be awesome if dancers owned restaurants, and dominated the restaurant dance scene?!

Great thread!


BDF (KJ)

Originally Posted by _Tanya_

I work a restaurant every so often that has a little blurb on the back of the menu that encourages tipping dancers. This is ideal for a restaurant that caters to a more American audience because they often don't know that tipping is customary and welcome. The blurb encourages tipping and states acceptable ways to tip your dancers (ie sides of belt, money shower, back of bra straps.) I have never been tipped by an American audience like I am at this restaurant and I am grateful for the help from the owner/management on encouraging this behavior.

That's awesome! More restaurants should do this.


BDF (KJ)

Originally Posted by Vasha_Hatal

There was a place I worked where I absolutely loved the set up so I would copy a lot from that: large spotlessly clean marble dance floor, big flat screen tvs on either side of the stage that play the dancer while she performs, a 5-6 piece band set up on a stage behind me playing the music I want, dressed up wealthy Arab clientele who tip well.

In addition to that I would say a nice changing room with a sofa and well lit mirrors, maybe only 3 or 4 really good dancers on rotation with the boss scheduling. Valet parking for the dancer ;)

This is completely random, but did you perform at Casablanca here in Alexandria, VA last weekend? One of my friends mentioned that she went to see you perform.


BDF (KJ)

I've thought about opening a restaurant too! I thought it'd be a dream come true; not sure if it'll ever happen but who knows what the future will hold :P Hopefully it'd be more lucrative than my dance "career" has been thusfar!

This is why I thought you guys would have good tips! Insider view and all. I'm not a performer so things have totally escaped me. I always assumed certain things. For instance, I thought tile floors with some Arabic rugs would be good. Now I see rugs may not be the best idea.

I was leaning towards a sound system, high tech, with DJ. Now I think we have live band caliber dancers in our area. We should head in that direction.

Bhuz raqs!

Originally Posted by Bellydancefanatic

I want to create the perfect venue here in the D.C. area. I'm tired of Casablanca being the center of events, haflas, shows, etc. (KJ)

Raffi is very supportive of having dancers create events that bring him money. He's very a smart business owner. He keeps his costs WAAAY down...has kept the place around over 15 years; quite a feat in the restaurant world.

Originally Posted by salomestar

A dressing room!!! PLEASE for the love of God!!! ..l;,

... a dressing room WITH radiator - and no carpets at the dance area ..l;,

These are all fabulous suggestions. And PrincessIsabella, if you're involved it's sure to be a great restaurant!

Originally Posted by maliaraqs

These are all fabulous suggestions. And PrincessIsabella, if you're involved it's sure to be a great restaurant!

Aww! You're such a sweetie

I'll describe the set up I had at a club that I considered ideal. Alas it is now closed.

1. Parking spot for the entertainers.
2. Raised Wood stage, large enough for everyone to get up and dance on later.
3. Live Band
4. Great sound system
5. Great lighting -love those pink gels
6. Dressing rooms behind the stage complete with toilet, sink and mirrors.

Originally Posted by Bellydancefanatic

Me toooo!


Wouldn't it be awesome if dancers owned restaurants, and dominated the restaurant dance scene?!

Great thread!


BDF (KJ)

Yes it would be! I tried to start a discussion about this on the pro yahoo group and you saw what happen to me! I guess most dancers in our area would rather work for someone else there entire lives