[Dixielandjazz] Attracting younger audiences again:

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

HI Folks: 

We have been bantering this subject around for a few months if not a year now 
and I just found an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about a new 
resturant opening in my neighborhood, next village over the hill (five minutes 
away).

Two local restaurateurs Jeff & Dick Dudum have just formed a partnership with 
Kathrine Crosby to open a resturant in November in Walnut Creek's downtown 
Plaza shopping center seating 300 people.    It will be called the Bing Crosby 
Restaurant and Piano Bar ( at least they are not putting in a DJ or karaoke ( 
yet) .

The Dudums say their is:

"We will be able to introduce people in their 30s and 40s to Bing Crosby."

Bing passed away in 1977, so why open a restaurant and name it after him now? 
  well they say that they want to introduce younger people to Bing Crosby, 
but it is no coincidence that there is an upscale retirement community, ( 
Rossmoor) very nearby, it will be open for lunch and dinner, but I doubt it will 
have an Early Bird special.

It is located inthe high rent district of the downtown and they have lured 
away the chef from our only five star hotel and Spa resort hotel five minutes 
away.   Filet mignon with a black truffle sauce will one of the things onthe 
menu in the $15.00 to $27.00 range for the entree.

It will be decorated with Bing Memorabilia, including his golf clubs and 
trademark pipes, now if they would but only hire a Bing Crosby Tribute singer to 
give it real ambiance.

The Dudum's  recently opened another theme resturant in Walnut Creek, 
McCovey's resturant named after former Snn Francisco Giants slugger Willie McCovey, 
it is a very upscale sports bar with lots of big screen TV's and $8.00 - $9.50 
burgers, $16.00 pizzas 
(12 inchers)  $20.00 ribs and $16.00 chickens.   I have not seen Willie 
eating there yet, but I did see him down the street at McDonalds one day.

This is what the younger generation of business men and club owners are doing 
folks with littel or no emphasis on music, maybe  somebody could get a piano 
bar gig at McCovey's if they sang "Take me out to the Ball game over and over 
all night".


At least there is a thought towards OKOM, if they are actually thinking music 
at all, I would tend to think they are more into his movies if I had to bet 
on the motivation, other thant he possible financial partnership with Mrs. 
Crosby.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins