HOLLYWOOD entertainment would soon be within the reach of Cebuanos.
This, with the plans of a foreign company to develop a Hollywood-type disco club on the site of the old casino at Nivel Hills in Lahug, Cebu City. The disco club, to be named Don Christo K., is expected to become operational by the end of the year and will include a paradise garden and a restaurant.
The disco club will feature international entertainers, said Chris Karageorges, a British citizen who founded the Don Christo K. Inc., the company that will develop the future entertainment facility. He added that the club will also feature the latest trends in gaming.
Karageorges, who chairs Don Christo K. Inc., holds a long-term lease of the old casino, which used to be operated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) until the late 1990s.
In a news conference last Saturday, Karageorges said the establishment that he will be putting up will be “luxurious.” “I will bring in the top stars like Shakira and Madonna to perform here,” he added.
The entertainment facility will involve a Euro5-million investment. Despite the size of the investment, Karageorges said the company does not want the club to be identified as an exclusive facility.
Instead of just focusing on the A and B market, the company will also target the C segment since this group has “more in terms of numbers.”
“There will be facilities both for the young and the old,” said Jose Gloria, Don Christo K. Inc. executive director.
Corporate events
The club will also open during the day.
Karageorges said the company’s investment would be put to waste if the club will concentrate on night entertainment. He said the establishment will also become a venue for corporate and social events.
At present, the company is finalizing the details of the project’s design concept. Karageorges said the paradise garden and the restaurant are part of the project’s first phase.
The disco, which has the capacity of 1,000 people, can be converted into a concert hall.
“We will be in full operation just before Christmas,” Karageorges stressed.
Aside from the international performers, Gloria said the company will also tap the entertainment industry in Manila and Cebu.
Gloria, who claims to have a long experience in the casino industry, said the company has made a study of the preferences of the Cebuano market.
“This is also a way of educating the people,” he said, referring to the different kinds of entertainment that can be offered.
With its goal to make the club a landmark destination in Cebu, Don Christo K. Inc. will also be applying for a five-star accreditation from the Department of Tourism, said Gloria.
Once in full operation, Karageorges said the club will have “zero competition” as no one in the country can offer the same concept.
Karageorges is involve in international trading and entertainment. He also added that his expertise is in luxury cruise shipping. (DME)
