Mulholland Drive: Developing a Concept and Prototype with Wheels

Idea/Concept

Restaurateur Bill Casey came to Ira Spilky with a great idea. The concept was Mulholland Drive, a casual dining restaurant and entertainment spot focuing on classic cars, music and culture of the 50’s and 60’s. Bill called on the expertise of Ira Spilky & Associates to develop a business plan that could be used to attract investors and to help turn the idea into a reality.

Business Marketing Development Plan

Ira put his industry, team-building and restaurant development expertise—as well as his own experience as a restaurant owner—to work. To begin with, Ira had worked previously with the company that owned the rights to, but was not using, the Mulholland Drive name. A quick negotiation brought Bill’s team the worldwide rights to the name and trademark they desired. Next, Ira used his industry connections and team-building skills to draft Bill Main, one of the country’s foremost experts on the design of restaurant development plans, for the Mulholland Drive team. Because of Ira’s 25 years in the industry, he knows how to build the best team for each project, and he can attract the best people for each job.

“One thing that really impresses me about Ira is that he’s very well connected with people in the industry,” says Bill Casey. “He was able to connect my company up with a lot of people who were extremely influential. The more people we can meet in the industry, the more options we have in terms of how to get the most out of our business plan.”

This team went to work, and over a series of concept development sessions honed a detailed business marketing plan for the Mulholland Drive concept. Costs, staffing, menu, physical design, branding, customer profiles, location criteria and dozens of other business necessitites were taken into account, until the plan was complete, attractive, and ready to be put before potential investors.

Execution Plan for Success

With this development plan as a model, the Mulholland Drive executive team has been able to attract an investment group with a commitment of over $15 million. The company is embarking upon a site search for their Southern California flagship location, and they have retained Ira Spilky & Associates to spearhead the assignment.