From DNC to New Venture: Eva Longoria's Big Week
Eva Longoria wants to give a steak dinner some feminine flair.
The actress best known for her work on "Desperate Housewives" is closing her Las Vegas establishments, the restaurant Beso and the nightclub Eve, to reconfigure them as an eatery specifically for women, according to the New York Daily News.
Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton originally reported the restaurant would be for women only — a claim that is still being picked up. Actually, Longoria's steakhouse will be open to all, but designed and operated with a woman's taste in mind. (Read more: Unusual Franchises)
Details of Longoria's new business venture come amid a heavy news week for the actress, who was spotted with New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention. (Read more: Obama Poised to Lay Out His Vision)
Aptly named SHe, the new restaurant will feature a 1920s theme, though trappings like a catwalk featuring female performers, tiered seating, 3D projection mapping, cryogenic fog and rain curtains will give it a thoroughly modern feel. The menu will feature "boutique steakhouse dishes" and small-bites dishes that the owners hope will appeal to the ladies. In addition, female-oriented entertainment will include a fashion runway and a central dance floor with entertainment in five-minute vignettes. The grand opening is set for New Year's Eve.
Beso and Eve were quite the flops for Longoria; Beso LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year, with the filing noting $5.7 million in debt and $76,000 in losses per month.
But Longoria shouldn't feel too discouraged, as she's far from the first celeb restaurateur to try and fail. Britney Spears' Nyla restaurant in New York drew bad reviews, health violations and debt, eventually leading Spears to abandon the project. Despite high prices and negative reviews, Jennifer Lopez's Madres restaurant in Pasadena, Calif., stayed open for six years before it closed in 2008, giving no official reason.
