'You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?"
Movie buffs know that's Robert DeNiro talking into a mirror in "Taxi Driver." But he may actually be talking to you at Sensory 3, the new ultra-lounge that replaces La Bonne Vie at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.
As part of the room's makeover from upscale steakhouse to a more casual ultra-lounge, Sensory 3
Sensory 3's ad campaign says it's a place "where sight, sound and taste meet mind, body and soul."
"It's not just a marketing ploy; it's something we thought long and hard about," says Fred Buro, the casino's president and general manager. "Everything we do, even the new ad campaign is designed to make some type of emotional connection.
"Therefore, some of the movies we play in there are old black-and-white Turner Classic Movies. We have images by impressionist painters -- Chagall, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and different works of art that are pleasing to see. In addition to that, we have interesting photographs, graphics and lighting."
Buro said the music mix will be stylish but not pumping dance club music. The mood is more mellow.
"There'll be a lot of remixed music, especially lounge-type music. If you listen to Pandora and type in 'Buddha Bar' it's just ultra-lounge music, or house music or dance music that's a little more laid back. There's remixes of Zeppelin and Steve Nicks and Sinatra. It's kind of eclectic."
While sipping on cocktails, music may fade out just long enough to hear a classic movie line.
"We'll cross mix into 'The Wizard of Oz' from like a 'Kashmir' remix, and go into Dorothy Gale saying, 'Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.' It becomes an interactive experience in the room. We'll have everything from like 'On the Waterfront' to 'Zoolander,'" added Buro, who said he originated the concept as way of coordinating music, lighting and videos.
The makeover from La Bonne Vie to Sensory 3 coincides with Presque Isle Downs' fourth anniversary. Buro said the restaurant "didn't get nearly enough volume to make the restaurant a success." Plus, he said, business typically faded after 9 p.m.
Sensory allows PI Downs to offer La Bonne Vie's menu early in the evening. After 9 p.m., the space "transitions into more of a lounge-type feel and more of a tapas menu," he said, along with assorted seviche dishes. Around 11 p.m., the energy picks up as Sensory 3 becomes more of a cocktail ultra-lounge.
"We tried to take what's good about the restaurant and leverage that into making it better," Buro said. "There (also) was not an off casino floor lounge where one could go and have a cocktail and listen to music. We felt if we offered a place like that, it'd encourage more groups and people to come down, a place for those who didn't want to play to hang out."
Buro said the Presque Isle Downs & Casino has invested about $50,000 on sound, lighting, video and 53-inch flat screen TVs for the makeover.
"We gutted the room. We took down all the walls," he said. "It was not a good space to eat in; we moved all the booths around so that they're now in the back. It's completely different," he said. "We have one big open room but added the community table down the center with a high-top table."
In conjunction with the opening, Presque Isle Downs is asking patrons to send in ideas for cocktails, menu items and more. Winners get cash prizes or gift cards. Details are available on the casino's Facebook page.
"We want our customers to call the shots and tell what they like and produce those things that make sense for (them) and this property," he said.
Sensory 3's grand opening is Friday at 5 p.m.
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