Ritual closes, reopening as “Halo”

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Are Asian-themed bars a thing of the past?

With Tokio closed and Geisha House losing steam, it was only a matter of time before Ritual closed down for an image makeover. ‘They’re doing away with the Asian theme, and splitting the place into two,’ Linda Giozacchini, director of events at the Cahuenga corridor club, said Wednesday.

The grand reopening of the new club, dubbed ‘Halo,’ is tentatively set for March 27. Giozacchini added—and both the L.A. Times and Metromix have confirmed—that the Sunset Entertainment Group (Chris Breed, Alan Hajjar and George Nahas) owns the space again (Earlier this decade, SEG operated the club as White Lotus, where paparazzi mobbed the front of the club in order to snag that perfect shot of Cameron Diaz).

The inside of the large venue will be a restaurant/lounge evocative of ‘old Hollywood glamour’ and the outside patio portion will become a sports bar (but will not have a different name, just a separate feel and entrance). Music at the forthcoming club will include jazz in addition to more contemporary offerings, which is what Ritual had become known for the past two years or so.

The 400-capacity club, at 1743 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, opened in 2007. Prior to White Lotus, the club was known as Crush.

- Charlie Amter and Alexandra LeTellier