Bijan?s opens private party room Under the Tower

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Bijan's is adding another aspect to its downtown restaurant business.|ret||ret||tab|

Bijan's Under the Tower opens this week for large private parties and extended catering. Located behind The Boogie on South Avenue, with an entrance on Patton between McDaniel and Walnut, the new 1,400-square-foot room is housed in a 100-year-old building underneath Springfield's first water tower, ac-cording to Bijan's owners Billy and Mike Jalili and Sara Newton. The legs of the tower still remain.|ret||ret||tab|

Bijan's owners purchased the building four years ago, when they opened The Boogie at 321 South Avenue. |ret||ret||tab|

At that time, the trio didn't have a plan for the additional space. The idea came about two years later after Bijan's catering business picked up and they began turning down numerous requests for large private parties.|ret||ret||tab|

"People were asking us all the time, Can we do a party of 50? Can we do a party of 100?' Jalili said. |ret||ret||tab|

The upstairs cigar and martini bar at Bijan's 209 E. Walnut building can seat about 30 people. "That's why we decided we needed to have a different room to accommodate these requests," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

Bijan's Under the Tower, which can seat up to 150, is connected to The Boogie but has a separate entrance on Patton. Its doorway takes patrons right through two of the water tower's legs. First floor renovations, which Jalili said cost nearly $100,000, began three months ago.|ret||ret||tab|

For Newton, who is decorating the interior of the room, transforming the old building has been fun, but challenging.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's been a challenge ... making an old building look beautiful," Newton said. "But I think we've done it. We knew we could always do something with it it has the brick walls and so much character for a building that's over 100 years old."|ret||ret||tab|

Newton is mixing the old with the new to give it a different feel.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're taking the old and making it a very contemporary (look)," she said. "I used a lot of stainless (steel) and black granite on the bar all real modern materials like that." The walls have been silver glazed for a modern look, as well.|ret||ret||tab|

While the new place will have the same Bijan's style, Newton said its difference will be noticed in the decorating scheme.|ret||ret||tab|

"Here we're more eclectic. ... Here the deco is a wine theme," she said. "Over there we chose modern art. It's very contemporary and artsy, something that you don't see in other places in Springfield, but still with the same Bijan's flavor and style." |ret||ret||tab|

Two local artists are creating pieces for the room: Lori Radford and Southwest Missouri State University professor Mehrdad Haghayeghi. |ret||ret||tab|

"They're doing more contemporary ... canvasses with color," Newton added. "That's where the main color of the room will come out."|ret||ret||tab|

He said the private room will also have a full kitchen and a public address system for meetings. The owners anticipate holding events like wedding rehearsal dinners and parties, class reunions and all kinds of business functions.|ret||ret||tab|

The room already has three bookings this month, with the first party set for Dec. 8.|ret||ret||tab|

Bijan's ownership team is the general contractor for the renovations, and H.B. Wall & Sons, Melton Electric, J&J Construction and Larsen Heating & Air Conditioning are the subcontractors on the job. Laura Derrick, of Laura Jean Derrick, AIA, is the architect.|ret||ret||tab|

Although the first floor of the building is remodeled, three other floors are empty, but may become loft apartments.[[In-content Ad]]