Ponte Fresco

Ponte Fresco

One of Strategic Leisure’s longterm clients wanted to open an adaptation in Chicago of its family restaurant in Puerto Rico. Strategic Leisure was asked to translate and develop the Fast Casual restaurant for the highly sophisticated North Michigan Avenue, Chicago market. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. The negotiation of a lease was with the major commercial landlord.

2. The “Spa Kitchen” and “You Are What You Eat” Product Positioning and Creative Concept, Branding, Environmental Graphics and Marketing Copy. 

3. The development of the restaurant.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Creative Concept

• Industrial Engineering

• Team Casting

• Development Budget

• Lease Negotiation

• Space Planning & Interior Architecture

• Branding

• Collateral Design

• Copywriting

• Construction Owner's Rep

Cape Liberty

Cape Liberty

Strategic Leisure has been asked by several clients to provide a second opinion, and on one such occasion Strategic Leisure was asked to review the work of a world renowned planning firm with whom we had previously worked and for whom we  have great respect. This firm was the design lead of a multi-million dollar A&E team for a 430 acre peninsula in Bayonne, New Jersey. Our mutual client was concerned that their plan lacked vision for maximizing the peninsula’s future development. With no official authority, Strategic Leisure focused on the New York Harbor location (as opposed to Bayonne, NJ), targeted the specific areas with the most potential, provided a plausible backstory premise to inspire a more interesting plan, branded the area of biggest potential “Bayonne Bay,” and in a few weeks articulated a strategy that was embraced by the team and woven into the formal plan. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. The plan’s implicit product positioning being differentiated and elevated.

2. All three target areas of opportunity codified into the form-based Zoning law of the land.

3 .“Cape Liberty”  becoming the branding for Royal Caribbean.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Creative Concept

• Branding

• Masterplanning

• Proof of Concept Design 

• Governmental Relations

Pigeon Falls

Pigeon Falls Village

Strategic Leisure led the predevelopment of a 180 acre site in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a Florida-based investment group. The investment group was experiencing serious difficulties with the City of Pigeon Forge, the State of Tennessee and other environmental agencies. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. The City paying $17.5 Million – 100% of the Investment Group’s original 180 acre land cost – for 38 acres for only 21% of the land.

2. The City committing to $100+ Million in Sales Tax Increment supported infrastructure serving the site, including an Event Center, miles of Roads & and thousands of Parking Spaces.

3. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Cherokee Nation permitting the most extensive environmental Entitlements in Eastern Tennessee.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Creative Concept

• Masterplanning

• Design & Architecture

• Phase 1 & 2 Environmental Engineering

• Team Casting

• Business Planning

• Public Relations

• Governmental Relations

• Strategic Partner Relations

• Contract Negotiation

• Space Planning & Interior Architecture

• Branding & Collateral Design

Red's Rec Room

Red's Rec Room

Brunswick Corporation leased a former IKEA store space in the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, where it chose to build a repositioned Bowling & Billiards operation, to inspire the Bowling & Billiards industry and increase Brunswick’s equipment sales. Brunswick turned to Strategic Leisure to creatively and analytically define, design and develop the 107,000 square foot tenant space – in six (6) months. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. The creation of Red’s Rec Room, including Product Positioning, Creative Concept, Branding, Space Planning & Circulation, Interior Architecture and Furnishing, Budgeting, F&B and Live Entertainment Strategy & Implementation, and Guest Services Training.

2. The Business Planning, including consumer research and projections by business segments. 

3. The showcase of repositioned Bowling & Billiards for Brunswick’s equipment clients.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Creative Concept

• Team Casting

• Business Planning

• Space Planning & Interior Architecture

• Branding & Collateral Design

• Construction

• Guest Services Training

• F&B Strategy and Menu Development

• Entertainment Programming Strategy and Casting

D'Venue

D'Venue

Strategic Leisure was asked to define a “Creative Content Hub,” which was only a bullet in a strategic plan prepared by Yorkshire Forward, a British economic development agency, for its funding agency, the European Union’s Objective One. Not only did Strategic Leisure define the Creative Content Hub as D’Venue in strategic, creative and business terms; it embedded within D’Venue a unique digital storytelling platform called RealityPlay; and, framed, recommended and introduced both Apple and Yorkshire Forward to the potential of a strategic alliance. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. Strategically, creatively and economically defining the D’Venue Creative Content Hub.

2. Visually, numerically and verbally articulating the RealityPlay experiential digital platform.

3. Initiating and made a strategic alliance match between Apple and Yorkshire Forward.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Team Casting

• Creative Concept

• Branding

• Masterplanning

• Space Planning 

• Experiential Design

• Development Budget

• Operating Economics

• Governmental Relations

• Corporate Strategic Alliances (Apple)

Navy Pier

Navy Pier

For the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), Strategic Leisure developed a Product Positioning & Marketing Strategy which emphasized creating critical mass through programming of the Pier’s “Menu of Venues,” to be implemented over the three year opening. 

After informing the CEO of the MPEA that Navy Pier’s most valuable latent asset, the 3,300 foot long south promenade, was not currently planned to be fully leveraged, as it needed placemaking design components and festival-like commerce, Strategic Leisure was asked to continue with much greater responsibility. Subsequently, having a much expanded mandate and an office on the Pier, Strategic Leisure not only developed the strategy for Dock Street, it led the planning of Navy Pier’s initial operations. Strategic Leisure’s whole leadership resulted in:

1. Dock St. was branded and animated with furnishings, environmental graphics and kiosks.

2. The organizational structure and the initial operating budget were prepared.

3. The first phase grand opening was produced, and the first Ferris Wheel was purchased.

Strategic Leisure's whole leadership responsibilities included:

• Strategic Positioning

• Marketing & Programming Strategy

• Creative Concept

• Branding

• Masterplanning

• Design 

• Organizational Development

• Operational Budgeting

• Business Planning

• Governmental Relations

• Capital Purchasing 

• Grand Opening Production