Furnishings firm takes over ex-nightclub site

After sitting vacant for about 18 months, the building that formerly housed Devil's Martini nightclub in downtown Scottsdale will be the new home of a high-end kitchen design firm.

Bulthaup Scottsdale currently has two locations in downtown Scottsdale, at 4225 N. Marshall Way and a smaller location on Fifth Avenue west of Goldwater Boulevard. It will be consolidating those in a larger space at the former club location, at 4175 N. Goldwater Blvd.

Devil's Martini closed in February 2011 when owners Richard and Delania Geddes decided to leave the bar business. It opened in December 2001.

Bulthaup Scottsdale, which has been on Marshall for seven years and on Fifth for four years, will open the new location in November.

"We have gotten lots of enthusiasm from the neighbors that finally it's going to be a great place, and we are really excited about it," said Robert Moric, principal of Bulthaup Scottsdale.

"There are certain things that come with the bars, from the standpoint of traffic and nuisance and noise, and you wake up in the morning and hear horror stories."

Irene Kelly, spa director at Spa Du Soleil, is "thrilled beyond words" that another bar isn't opening in the building. The spa is just east of the building and has been there 17 years.

"You have no idea how horrible it was when the bar was there," she said. "It was a nightmare. It's so exciting that (Bulthaup Scottsdale is) going to be there because it's a very high-class, fabulous business."

Bulthaup Scottsdale has been in the local market for 27 years.

The firm sells kitchen furnishings produced by Germany-based Bulthaup, which has been in business since 1949.

"We design it here, we work with the clients here, the product gets made in Germany and then gets shipped here and we install it," Moric said. "This market has responded really well to the product, the quality of the product and the value that's delivered to the end-users, so we want to be able to look ahead 10 years and satisfy the market demand."

Bulthaup Scottsdale also sells Carl Hansen & Son furnishings.

The Marshall location houses three display areas, while the new location will house six,Moric said.

"We are going to be growing by about 50 percent on the top," he said. "The new space will allow us to showcase even more of that lifestyle, per se, rather than individual cabinets."

The new location includes a large outdoor space that will be incorporated into the store, he said.

"It's going to be used as an outdoor space so we can use it from time to time, not unlike the way the space is used over here, but it's going to be a little bit more private, and will be a wonderful space to be outdoors and deal with cooking and food," Moric said.

by Edward Gately - Aug. 8, 2012 The Republic | azcentral.com


Furnishings firm takes over ex-nightclub site