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Stingaree getting a mega makeover

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When downtown San Diego’s longtime nightclub, Stingaree, closes early next month, work will begin immediately on reinventing the space as an entirely new nightlife venue similar to a sister club being developed in Las Vegas.

Hakkasan Group, a London-based hospitality and nightlife firm that bought Stingaree earlier this year, announced Thursday that the downtown venue will become the second location for the company’s new nightlife brand, Omnia.

Dubbed Omnia San Diego, the redeveloped venue will take its design cues from the Omnia club that Hakkasan is currently developing at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Like the San Diego project, the Vegas Omnia is a makeover of a former nightlife venue, the Pure Nightclub. Both locations will reopen in the spring of next year.

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While the Stingaree had been performing well, it was clearly due for an upgrade, said Hakkasan CEO Neil Moffitt.

“Nine years have passed since it was brought to market, and it had quite a bit of success in the market but we’re a group who doesn’t stand still,” he said in an interview. “This isn’t a revenue issue or an issue of declining popularity. It needs something new, and we also don’t like to inherit other people’s ideas. We have many of our own.”

Hakkasan, which is spending millions of dollars on its Omnia Vegas project, acquired Stingaree at the start of this year from Enlightened Hospitality Group, helmed by James Brennan, who founded the club, and chef Brian Malarkey. While Hakkasan now has a majority stake in the Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants developed by Brennan and Malarkey, it acquired Stingaree in its entirety.

Moffitt would not reveal how much the company is spending on re-imagining Stingaree but said it is a substantial investment that will eclipse what has been spent on any other nightlife project in the Gaslamp Quarter. He also was vague about décor, although he said it would mimic in some ways the design of the Vegas club.

The venue will remain multilevel, he said, and will offer both indoor and outdoor experiences. As part of its upgrade, Omnia will feature opulent finishes and a number of luxury touches, but Moffitt would not be any more specific. He boasted that Hakkasan is employing audiovisual experts who have worked with some of the biggest rock bands, including the Rolling Stones and U2. Entertainment will be diverse, featuring both DJ’s and live performances, Moffitt added.

“Hopefully, we will attract a different demographic to stay out later at night,” he said. “People will have a choice. Do I go to Omnia in San Diego for the weekend or do I go to Vegas? You will have a nightclub where people will consider staying in San Diego. That’s how confident I am.”

Hakkasan, which originated in 2001 as an upscale Chinese restaurant based in London, has undergone a global expansion. from Abu Dhabi and Mumbai to Las Vegas and Beverly Hills. In addition to the Omnia, it also owns the Hakkasan nightclub at the MGM Grand.