Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

John Katsilometes gears up for a shopping spree at a potential Vegas Trump Exchange

Those of us clamoring for a chance to buy Donald Trump fragrance, T-shirts and neckware in Las Vegas might be in luck.

Trump's retail plans were related recently when I bumped into our favorite FOTD (Friend Of The Donald), Jack Wishna, at Fellini's on West Charleston Boulevard (this was during the previously reported Hawaiian shirt night at the restaurant that I found so weird). Wishna, the man who helped forge the Trump International deal between Trump and Phil Ruffin in Las Vegas, said he'd just returned from a cross-country trip with Trump.

During that adventure Trump said he is expanding his brand worldwide to include not just residential and casino projects, but also apparel and consumer goods merchandising. On Aug. 3 Trump opened his first retail store at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., a 4,000-square-foot center called Trump Exchange, which sells all goods carrying the Trump trademark.

Mark Juliano, the former president of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, is now heading up the Taj Mahal and is said to be impressed by the traffic at the Trump store in Atlantic City. Thus, Trump is tracking the profit and appeal of the Trump Exchange to see if there is a place in Vegas (if we only had more retail space!) for this commodity.

Merchandise stamped or stitched with the Trump brand include shirts (dress and golf), ties, cologne, wallets, belts, watches and "Apprentice" gear. The Van Heusen shirt company has taken on the Trump line and has reportedly already set company sales records after making the move.

Trump's project on the Strip, across from Wynn Las Vegas, is set to open by New Year's Eve, 2007.

NoteMart

The e-mail was fairly percolating after a couple of items I wrote last week, one about safety issues at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and another about sluggish ticket sales for Strip production shows. On the former, many readers suggested simply moving the sign to a safer locale on the Strip - some resort could purchase the sign from YESCO and arrange to have it relocated. My favorite idea, from ever-present celeb tracker and occasional pedestrian Robin Leach, was to place replica Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas signs on the sidewalks on each side of the median that is home to the original sign. Then, hang a sign that says, "Take your photo here - cross the street and suffer a $400 fine."

Regarding showroom ticket sales, many readers (and even some folks familiar with ticket marketing) said producers need to be more cognizant of pricing locals out of the best Strip production shows. It's no accident that the best audiences for the ill-fated "Hairspray" at the Luxor were the Sunday 4 p.m. matinees, which offered discounted tickets for locals ($50 per ticket for any seat in the house). But repeatedly I have been told by Las Vegas residents that they would like to see "Love" and "Phantom: Las Vegas Spectacular" (both of which are seeing plenty of empty seats these days) but can't afford ticket prices that range from $70 to $150 (not including surcharges, handling fees and over-taxes). One thought, as an example of how to reach out to locals: The Luxor is bringing in a series of headliners for its "Spotlight Series." That series could offer a ticket package for a couple of shows (say, Liza Minnelli and Olivia Newton-John at a discounted rate for Nevada residents. We're not seeing enough of that.

Latin superstar Jon Secada performed a private VIP concert at the Wynn Las Vegas pool on Saturday night. Secada is a judge on "Latin American Idol," which reportedly reaches 250 million viewers across Central and South America.

Tom Kaplan has joined the Marshall Retail Group Board of Directors. Kaplan has been with Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining group for 25 years, and will continue in that role as he works with the MRG advisory board. The Marshall Retail Group owns and operates more than 70 outlets, mostly in major resorts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Tunica, Miss. The chain of women's apparel shops was founded by longtime Las Vegan Art Marshall.

Great gag: My brother from another, Sweet Louie of the Checkmates, pointed out a celebrity in the audience at the Sahara's Casbah Lounge last week. After a lengthy introduction of a man who "won an Olympic gold medal, who beat Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship, who broke his jaw," he called out the name "Leon Spinks!" Then he stopped. "Oh! I'm mistaken. I am so sorry, ma'am." (He also is thinking of Ken Norton, who actually broke Ali's jaw. But it's still really funny.)

Driving along Desert Inn recently I spotted Debbie Reynolds - printed on a street sign. This is the last remaining physical evidence of Reynolds' hotel-casino project (which closed in 1998), which sat on nearby Convention Center Drive. Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said leaving the name on the sign, even in the face of the failed project, is common. He noted that Clark County is full of streets named for stars, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mel Torme, Jerry Lewis and Reynolds. "Each of those names is permanent unless someone submits an application to Clark County Current Planning to have the name changed."

For an only-in-Las Vegas jolt to the system, have dinner at the retro-swanky Hugo's Cellar at Four Queens, then head up the stairs to be met by the hotel's nitty-gritty casino floor. Talk about a parallel universe.

Smiles for miles: A colleague reports a vanity plate on a Toyota Matrix, BNEIS.

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