'Saved By The Bell'-Themed Restaurant Comes To Hollywood

"Saved by the Bell," a quintessential early 1990s TV show, will be captured in a new themed restaurant just signed to the West Hollywood Gateway Shopping Center.

The lease was signed last week and brings the center to full occupancy, according to Colliers International Vice President Gabe Kadosh, who handled the negotiation.

The Saved by the Max restaurant will be a 5,600 SF replica of the Max Cafe where characters hung out in the series. It follows a similar replica restaurant pop-up in Chicago that closed at the end of May.

The idea comes from a group of four partners who were fans of the show, Kadosh said.

"They decided they needed to be in Hollywood, but were totally unfamiliar with the City of Los Angeles," he said. "That’s where I was able to help them understand the market. We ended up with a great location at the West Hollywood Gateway."

The 269K SF center at La Brea Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, anchored by Best Buy and Target, is the largest retail center in West Hollywood.

Kadosh said diners at the café will pay a flat rate for an entrance ticket that will cover food, drinks and entertainment. They also can purchase additional food and alcohol.

"You will get the feel of being in the show and will create a unique dining experience," he said.

He describes the restaurant as a hybrid pop-up, because the owners have signed a two-year lease, lengthier than for most pop-ups.

"At the end of the two years, they may extend and do another TV show-themed restaurant, keep it going or shutter it," he said. "In Chicago, which was half the size of this location, they just shuttered the space at the end of 12 and moved on to Hollywood."

Kadosh, who has negotiated leases for other theme-style restaurants, said it is all part of creating an experience as retailers seek to draw shoppers back to malls.