Photograph by Douglas Rider

Patrons line up in front of Sunnyvale's newest nightclub, The Forum. It opened in late May and has been going strong since.

The party's jumpin' in Sunnyvale's Forum

New club to provide upscale weekend fun

By Gretchen Knaup

A new nightclub is trying to introduce something unique and exciting to Sunnyvale's downtown district with a modern European-like atmosphere and an upscale taste for entertainment.

The Forum Nightclub is the newest addition to downtown and located at 146 Murphy Street, it's right in the heart of business. The official opening was May 25, and now that it has been open for five weekends, General Manager Curtis Rau said business is really getting going with progressive changes already under way.

The Forum is a restaurant, nightclub and special events venue. Originally a movie theater in the 1930s, the building has been restored and transformed into an Italian work of art, including walls in the lobby that are lined with Aegean gargoyle scones and pieces of slate in shades of purple and mauve.

A large venue, the two-story Forum can house approximately 700 people. The dance floor is lined with furniture including tables, chairs and couches. The Forum has an elegant decor and boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting. "We offer people a high end bar, and the best sound and lighting system in the Bay Area," Rau said.

According to Rau, SF clubs, the corporation that owns and operates the Forum, is not trying to bring San Francisco to the South Bay. Rather they're trying to run an upscale progressive nightclub with a South Bay Flavor.

Saturday nights are already at capacity, but according to Rau, Friday nights are a little tougher. "People generally make Saturday their big night out, and we've been able to really hit the Saturday crowd," he added. Rau said the Friday night crowd isn't much different from the Saturday nights, only that Friday nights will be a little more casual and laid back, because people are coming off their workday. The only other difference on Friday nights will be the music, which will be less commercial and more progressive. "We want to give people choices," Rau said.

The new Forum is different from The Palace, which was there prior in that the Forum caters to a specific type of crowd. Rau said the Forum is for people looking for a nice upscale place to go. Rau also does what is called "fading" which allows him to decide who enters the club and who will not.

"We are in the business of letting people into our clubs, not keeping them out, but we aren't going to let someone who poses a threat to other patrons in here," said Michael Whalen said, director of sales and special events. According to Rau, this is all a part of ensuring an upscale crowd to make the Forum a nice place for residents of Sunnyvale. "We are more interested in quality than quantity," Rau said.

Rau recently took over the Friday nights and said he is in the process of making promotional changes. "We aren't concerned with Friday nights, they are just building slower than Saturdays," he said.

Rau says the Forum is primarily a special events venue. They do birthdays, corporate events, and even weddings. All the catering is done by the Palace Cafe directly across the street. Don Eaton, who previously owned and ran the Palace, owns the Palace Cafe. The Forum has a contract with Eaton for one year, making them the sole food provider for the Forum's events.

The Forum is also working with other stores and restaurants to help improve the downtown environment and increase business. They don't see themselves as a competition for the surrounding bars or clubs. "If anything we have helped their business," Rau said, referring to a smaller club across the street called The Jungle.

Other surrounding businesses agree that the Forum has not deterred the level of business. "It hasn't affected business as far as I can detect," said Darcy, a bartender at Paul and Harvey's, which is next door to the Forum.

"We bring a couple thousand bodies down here, if anything we are helping business," Rau said. Employees at Fibar and Magee's, a couple doors down from the Forum, said there was a change at first. "Initially it brought us business from people coming over to our place instead because it was too expensive for them," manager Suzanne O'Toole said. "It really hasn't changed business lately, although it might with more advertisement."

Members and supporters of the community, the Forum has been working very closely with the Chamber of Commerce and the city to make sure they are in full compliance with regulations. "We are running this business as locals," Rau added. "We want to become a part of the Sunnyvale family."

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