MINNEAPOLIS Schussler Creative Inc., which created the Rainforest Café and T-Rex eatertainment concepts, and RED Development, a shopping mall developer in Kansas City, Mo., have partnered to create dining attractions in destination retail locations nationwide.
Schussler Creative said in a statement, "It's the first time a developer has teamed up with the creator of dining/entertainment attractions to invest in the rollout of new ventures nationwide in RED's developments and elsewhere.
"Both RED Development and Schussler Creative believe that this new business model is a first and will change the way business is conducted in the real estate development, retail, restaurant, and entertainment attraction venues, as well as lifestyle/ retail centers and shopping destinations," the company said in a statement. Schussler will hold about 65 percent of the new company, and RED will own about 35 percent.
Schussler and Landry's Restaurants Inc. of Houston last summer opened T-Rex, a dinosaur-themed concept, in The Legends at Village West, one of RED Development's malls in Kansas City, Kan. This deal does not include the Schussler concepts of T-Rex, Rainforest Café or Yak & Yeti, an Asian concept under construction at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
RED Development, which has offices in Kansas City, Mo., and Scottsdale, Ariz., will be developing concepts that Schussler Creative has created in its Twin Cities warehouse.
Steven Schussler, chief executive of Schussler Creative, said, "We have an entire team devoted to research and development in our creative laboratory. We have numerous concepts under development, many of which we will bring to market as anchor tenants within the next few months, as part of this incredible new team."
Some of the concepts created by Schussler and being considered for development include:
-Aerobleu, patterned on a 1940s Parisian jazz club and featuring such "destinations" as Cuba, New Orleans, Paris, London and New York.
-America's Roadhouse, featuring a truck-stop décor and American cuisines.
-Dynasty, a Chinese-inspired concept.
-Hot Dog Hall of Fame, which features gourmet frankfurters and other hand-held foods.
-Musical Gardens, a seafood and salad concept.
-Sorcerer's Kitchen, which capitalizes on the popularity of the Harry Potter books and movies.
-Winter Wonderland, which has a year-round winter theme.
Dan Lowe, managing partner of RED Development, said, "This strategic partnership allows us to align with the nation's top creator of destination attractions to simultaneously place amazing concepts in our developments as well as those of other top developers."
Steve Graham, RED's vice president of destination development, added: "We are creating unique experiences by developing destination attractions for guests who hunger and thirst for new experiences."
The partnership is something new in restaurant-shopping mall development. Jeff Green, a retail analyst with Jeff Green Partners in Mill Valley, Calif., said: "It is a unique relationship in the retail real estate industry because the Schussler attractions are not proprietary to RED."
