Small Business

From DNC to New Venture: Eva Longoria's Big Week

Drew Guarini, The Huffington Post
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Eva Longoria, co-chair of the Obama Campaign
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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.

Total Cost: $58,065Tuition: $43,840Room & Board: $13,980Fees: $245Claremont McKenna, located near downtown Los Angeles, accepted only 12.4 percent of its applicants for the class of 2016, a rate that admissions counselor Brandon Gonzalez said ensures that students here will be going to school only with other top students.�The class of 2016 will be one of the most talented groups of students we have ever seen,� The school will charge these students a tuition of $21,920 per semester, or $43,840 for the entire academic year, incurring a total cost of

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.