Neophyte Club Owner Gets Acquainted With Nightlife Bryan Suckut was a fashion photographer for 25 years, but he’d always wanted to try his hand at interior design. “I like entertaining people,” he said, “and I thought I could create an environment where people would like to come.” Two months ago, Suckut opened the doors to Clear, a cocktail lounge on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. With its minimalist d & #233;cor recessed banquets with upholstered back rests line the lounge area and Plexiglas stools line the bar Clear is an unlikely addition to a boulevard famed for donut shops and drive-thrus. Suckut took three years to decide on the location, the site of a former piano bar. And he was somewhat wary of the Valley address at first. “I still am. But I think we’re working real hard to get the word out to the marketplace,” he said. “I also think this is going to change the area.” Clear is the third new nightspot to open in Studio City in the last year and, so far at least, it appears that such places are long overdue. “Many people who come through the door thank me,” Suckut said. “They say they’ve been looking for a place like this.” Clear opened with a Ford model party, and that’s given the lounge enough buzz to send a steady stream of clientele through the doors so far. “We get customers from entertainment and the arts. There’s a whole crew of dancers that come in. They’ve been really good to us,” Suckut said. The lounge, which doesn’t open until about 8 p.m., serves drinks and bar appetizers. There’s a smoking patio that Suckut hopes one day to upgrade with a fireplace and a canopy. Since opening, Clear has added a DJ who spins on some nights. Suckut shied away from discussing start-up costs, except to say they were substantial. “It took all the money I made from doing fashion photography for 25 years.” Although he had any number of offers from potential investors, he wanted to go it alone. “You could get people like that to give you chunks of cash,” Suckut said, snapping his fingers to make his point. “But it’s not in my nature to collect money from people.” Unlike most people who open lounges or bars, Suckut never worked in the industry, never even waited tables in college. So, the business of running a bar has been something of a rude awakening. “What I envisioned is I’d open the door and get wealthy,” he said candidly. “Now I realize there’s a ton of work staffing, inventory, I haven’t slept in months. But overall, I’m enjoying it.” Shelly Garcia
