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Overhead doors installed at Dick’s Last Resort 24-Jul-08 – The controversial overhead doors were installed this week at Dick’s Last Resort. The Dallas-based restaurant chain is expecting to open at Marina City in late August. CEO Steve Schiff, who was in Chicago this week, says they hope to finish construction by August 1. After that, he says they will work on finishes and decorations.
(Above) Three aluminum and glass doors will open to a new outdoor patio along the south wall of the Marina City concourse level. Described by many as “garage doors,” the three eight-foot-wide retractable doors now lead to an eight-foot-deep outdoor patio that will accommodate nine tables. A portion of the south wall was moved back to create the exterior space in the southwest corner of the concourse level. More soundproofing than originally planned Schiff described three forms of soundproofing, an issue of concern to residents at Marina City. Material was sprayed beneath the concrete floor to reduce vibration coming from sound sources within the restaurant. Panels made of a material called Tectum were installed in the ceiling. And in the east wall separating the band area from the residential mailboxes, four layers of sheet rock were installed instead of two layers that were originally planned.
Schiff says the aluminum and glass panel doors on the south wall will keep sound levels below the 45 decibels allowed by city code. He says they will measure the sound periodically and keep the doors closed when a band is performing. Typical customer difficult to define Schiff says Dick’s customers are a broad mix and challenging to target. But off the top of his head, he said the typical customer is a 35-year-old women who drives in from Wisconsin, or a financial worker in downtown Chicago. “We’re all about events. Elvis’s birthday, Mardi Gras, Aunt Sally in town,” says Schiff. “Dick’s is about making a splash and being irreverent.” Schiff reiterated that a pre-opening event of some type will be held for residents, the details of which are still being worked out. As for the first bands, Schiff says he’d like to start with a Big Band sound. “Lots of horns.”
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