THE MUSIC CENTER AND LEVY PARTNER TO ELEVATE HOSPITALITY AT L.A.’S ANCHOR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WITH DIVERSE, RE-IMAGINED DINING EXPERIENCES
Partnership will Focus on Exceptional Year-Round Dining at More Than 15 On-Campus Food and Beverage Venues, Unparalleled Event Catering and Comprehensive Plan to Safely
Welcome Guests Back to The Music Center
LOS ANGELES (September 17, 2020)—The Music Center has partnered with Levy to elevate the role hospitality plays at L.A.’s dynamic performing arts center and reimagine the many dining options located at its expansive Downtown L.A. campus to create a dining destination. This is the first time in 25 years that The Music Center has named a new food and beverage partner. With more than two million visitors to The Music Center annually—and the breadth of dining options The Music Center offers Angelenos and visitors including 15 restaurants, cafes and intermissions bars—this partnership is one of the most significant and expansive among large venues in the L.A. region.
Levy, the market leader in creating hospitality experiences at world-class restaurants, sports and entertainment venues and events, will collaborate with The Music Center to leverage the power of food to bring people together, in line with The Music Center’s vision to deepen the cultural lives of all Angelenos with relevant, accessible experiences. The two will work together to introduce new restaurant concepts, heighten existing offerings with new cuisine and aesthetic enhancements, create immersive dining experiences and present world-class catering for private events including weddings, galas, banquets, meetings and other social gatherings. An important part of that effort will be to introduce a new concept for the restaurant located at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is one of three main eateries at the complex.
According to The Music Center President & CEO Rachel S. Moore, selecting Levy as The Music Center’s partner followed a year-long selection process that continued despite the challenges of COVID-19. “We are thrilled that Levy will join us as we take the approach to hospitality at The Music Center to the next level,” Moore said. “Levy has both a deep understanding of the operational needs of large venues and a clear sense of what consumers are looking for in authentic and creative dining experiences, given its founding DNA and continued recognition as top restaurateurs.”
Levy brings extensive restaurant roots, having created many acclaimed and diverse restaurants
across the country. Its Michelin-starred Spiaggia, which was one of the country’s original fine dining Italian establishments, has nurtured celebrity chefs and Bravo “Top Chef” winners. The restaurant’s beverage leaders and one-of-a-kind wine collection are also consistently recognized among the best restaurants in America. Levy was also selected as the first outside restaurateur to create a dining destination inside Walt Disney World Resort. Additionally, River Roast, Levy’s riverside social house in Chicago, is recognized as one of the best wedding destinations in the country.
“The Music Center is the anchor for culture, the arts and dining in the heart of Downtown L.A., and it’s a truly special opportunity to play a part in reimagining the hospitality experience,” said Andy Lansing, president and CEO of Levy. “We’re restaurateurs at heart and feel incredibly honored to expand our contribution to L.A.’s vibrant culinary community by celebrating food and beverage at some of the county’s most iconic gathering spots. Our partnership with The Music Center is grounded in a shared vision to put our passion and expertise to work across the entire campus with unique hospitality experiences that reflect the desires of each guest and visitor and the details they value. Whether it’s a pre-performance meal at the new restaurant, or a re-concepted quick café that invites neighbors to stop by, each food and beverage location on the campus will be a stage for memorable hospitality.”
The Music Center and Levy will also develop a comprehensive health and safety plan to welcome guests to the campus when state and County of Los Angeles guidelines allow Music Center venues to reopen. That work will tap into Levy’s established best practices to address the operational requirements that follow guidelines for guest service associated with the pandemic along with The Music Center’s commitment to guest safety, which includes the development of protocols and procedures based on directives from the CDC, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health and other plans developed in partnership with peer organizations with guidance from the Cleveland Clinic.
“Levy’s philosophy of creating unexpected dining adventures in unexpected places is an excellent fit for The Music Center as we continue to evolve to meet the needs and interests of the many communities we serve in Los Angeles,” said Howard Sherman, chief operating officer, The Music Center. “From savoring the creative cuisine of some of L.A.’s most exciting emerging chefs pre- or post-show, or enjoying a savory lunch on The Music Center Plaza, to grabbing a cocktail at intermission or attending a wedding or family event that create a lifetime of memories, The Music Center offers quite a range of dining opportunities. Our partners at Levy will embrace that variety and ensure that every culinary experience is a very special one.”
The Music Center/Levy partnership will be managed locally in Los Angeles, where Levy serves fans and guests at Staples Center and Microsoft Theater, Dodger Stadium, the Rose Bowl Stadium, and Dignity Health Sports Park, among other locations. The local team will tap into Levy’s expertise at cultural destinations like the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s magnificent new Bradley Symphony Center, as well as iconic events like the GRAMMY Awards, Kentucky Derby and U.S. Open.
