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Studio Cafe has been running for more than 20 years, and is a Newport Beach institution. It's known for its big drinks, fun atmosphere, and live music. In the summer months, it's a popular bar and restaurant.
I bought Studio Cafe in 1999. It was quite run down, so I engaged Ken Mockett's company to do a complete remodel - new bar fixtures, tables & chairs, flooring, new soundproof windows, new kitchen equipment. We also added a computerized bar and register system.
My restaurant company was called 'Newport Blues, Inc.' I planned to open other restaurants with a casual atmosphere and live music - 'Newport Blues' being one of them. We had a separate small office in Shipyard Way. Mike Mergen was the office manager, and Tricia Freeman was in charge of advertising and band booking. Steve Welton was the Studio Cafe manager, and Steve Palmer was executive chef.
We started with live music seven nights a week at Studio. This proved to be a bit ambitious, so we cut back to three or four nights a week. Local bands featured include The Voodudes, The Tricia Freeman Band, Girls Night Out, The Boomers, Mike Ubaldini Band, and Stan O'Kane.
In 2003 I sold Studio Cafe to Cabo Cantina, a small chain of Mexican restaurants based in Beverly Hills. It's now more popular than ever. One of my former staff, Andrea, is now managing the new Cabo Cantina.
Photos of Studio Cafe, Newport Beach. Click on the small images to see a larger photo.
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This site was last updated 07/31/08
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