by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
On the occasion of their first anniversary of business Downtown, owners of The Twisted Martini at the Landing calculated that 75,000 cocktails had gone across the bar since the day the club opened just days before Super Bowl XXXIX.
Assuming consistent consumption since then, the total is now up to 300,000 libations served in view of Twisted’s 4th anniversary which is being celebrated this weekend.
The upscale entertainment venue has become one of Jacksonville’s most award-winning liquid refreshment destinations for locals, visitors, tourists and conventioneers alike. Accolades include multiple nods for Twisted’s food and drinks from the Jacksonville Food Fight, Folio Weekly and Jacksonville Magazine. The club was honored with a “Downtown Enhancement Award” by the Downtown Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and was also named Visit Jacksonville’s “Partner of the Year for 2008.”
“Sometimes the four years seems like it was just yesterday and sometimes it seems like a long time,” said Darrin Kurtz, president of Venture Quest Management, which owns The Twisted Martini.
The venue has been a key player in the revitalization of Downtown nightlife, said Terry Lorince, executive director of Downtown Vision, Inc. The Twisted Martini is often the last stop for people who fill out ArtWalk passports the first Wednesday of each month and it’s one of the anchors for the “Destination Downtown” Friday night lounge tour.
“The Twisted Martini has been a tremendous addition to Downtown business and has added a lot of vibrancy,” said Lorince. “They have reached out to everyone to bring thousands of people Downtown to the river on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Kurtz said patrons will notice a few changes as the club heads into year five. In addition to a new color scheme and some enhancements to the furnishings, there have also been some additions to the menu.
“We’re introducing a brand new line of Twisted Martinis,” he said. “We think the flavors and presentation are going to create a big ‘wow’ factor.
“We’ve also added some items to the tapas menu and dropped a few that weren’t so popular, but we’re keeping all the things we know work.”
One thing Kurtz said is a proven winner is having a different promotion just about every night with a particular emphasis on evenings when special events are taking place Downtown. The club is a regular before- and after-show stop for patrons of performances at the Times-Union Center and Florida Theatre. The Jazz Festival, the Gator Bowl and the Florida/Georgia football game are also marked on Twisted’s in-house promotional calendar for the following year the day after the event.
“We know in the current economy there is a lot more competition for the entertainment dollar and disposable income,” said Kurtz. “It helps that we have developed a reputation that if you’re sitting around at home and want to get out and have some fun, there is always something happening at The Twisted Martini.”
The anniversary celebration kicked off Wednesday night with an invitation-only event and continues each evening through Saturday night when $4 martinis and $4 cocktails will be served from 7-11 p.m. with a $4 cover charge.
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