At any given noontime in the Bay Club, high atop the skyscraperat 60 State St., the men and women of Boston's business community sitamid white tablecloths and the muted tinkle of fine china, gazingover the waterfront and downtown.
But would it work if the view was of an empty 50-yard line?That is a key question for New England Patriots owner Robert K.Kraft, who wants to make a year-round lunch and dinner club -- forCEO breakfasts, business lunches, and networking dinners -- a centralfeature of his proposed stadium in South Boston.
It is hard to say whether such a club would be successful, mostlybecause there is nothing else quite like it in Boston, people in theclub business say. Main lures would be its sports cachet and itsyear-round availability; obstacles would include its location and themeal habits of the city's business class.'I'm sure they have a marketing study that shows they've gotsomething, but these days food is brought into the office, certainlynobody spends a lot of time at lunch, and more people do breakfastmeetings,' said attorney and former City Councilor Larry DiCara.'There's been an awful lot of imagination demonstrated in thesporting world lately, in terms of marketing,' said advertisingexecutive Jack Connors. 'You could have autographed items andmerchandise . . . there's a lot you can do with a sports franchisethat you can't do at the Somerset Club.'Kraft says revenue generated by the private club -- a dark-wood,leather-chair and cigar-smoking affair to be included in the price ofpremium seating and luxury suites -- is the only way he can buildthe $200 million stadium without big taxpayer subsidies. And that iswhy he wants the stadium in South Boston, because of access todowntown and the attractive waterfront setting.'It's a key to the financing, and that's the whole reason the siteis so important,' said an official in the Kraft organization.High-end restaurant and lounge facilities have become a fixture innew downtown stadiums. As in Fenway Park's 600 Club, premiumseatholders can rent the facilities for special occasions.But a year-round private club is an unusual feature, particularlyas a lynchpin for stadium financing.Some opponents to Kraft's plan say there is not enough business tosupport a private club in Boston, even if Patriots fever holds strongafter Sunday's Super Bowl defeat.Looking at the lunch business in Boston as a measure, demand forplaces to meet at midday does seem to be high -- thanks mostly to arobust economy. Old favorites such as Locke Ober, Maison Robert, orthe Meridien are always crowded, and newcomers, such as Oskar's onSouth Street, report being almost instantly filled.The private club business, however, is a different story. Clubdues are no longer tax-deductible as a business expense. Some clubs-- such as the Federal Club and the lunch club at the World TradeCenter -- have closed, while others hang on by a thread. The majorplayers in the lunch-club business include the Bay Club, theBostonian Club, the Harvard Club, and the Union Club.There are three keys to locking in a steady lunch and meetingbusiness, according to specialists: the quality of food, the appealof the surroundings and the location -- such that it's easy to getback to the office after an hour and a half.Stadium planners intend to hit all the high notes on the first twopoints, with fine cuisine and a clubby interior with footballmemorabilia. But the location issue -- a cab ride or eventual T ridefrom the Financial District to the edge of the waterfront -- mightcreate problems. The stadium would even be a significant walk fromthe new courthouse on Fan Pier or the new Fidelity complex.'I have found that the club can't be much more than three blocksaway from the office,' said Zeno Kern, manager of the Bay Club.The South Boston stadium would also have to overcome a built-inreluctance to travel to a sports arena when a sporting event is noton, say others familiar with the business.'Stadiums and arenas are destination spots; but for the event,people won't go. That is particularly true in a competitive foodmarket like Boston,' said one industry source.Others are more optimistic that a year-round stadium club could bea hit -- particularly if zeal for the Patriots continues unabated.'I understand there is a certain level of skepticism, in terms ofhow healthy are clubs these days, and what are people's patterns, arethey willing to take a cab and go to a stadium to have lunch,' saidConnors, chief executive of Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos. But ifthe food is good and the atmosphere is right, there's no reason theclub would not attract people just as Jimmy's and Pier 4 have in thatsame area, said Connors, an unofficial consultant to Kraft on thestadium issue.The private club picture in Boston is not entirely gloomy, otherspoint out. With steaks, cigars and martinis back in fashion, theprivate club may be seeing a comeback. The University Club has amajor membership drive under way. And Boston College is currently innegotiations to establish a new club in the old Federal Club in theBankBoston building, BC spokesman Douglas Whiting confirmed.Many businesses have been buying club seats rather than shellingout big dollars for luxury suites. The Krafts hope the clubmembership will provide the extra incentive for businesses to buyclub seats at the South Boston stadium. There will be 6,000 clubseats, sold for a minimum of 10 years, at an average price of $6,000per year.And there may be an additional lure: a tax deduction. Club duesare no longer deductible, but the price of the club would be builtinto the price of the seats -- and 50 percent of the cost of seats atsporting events can be deducted.
