Daren Ulmer, the former head of music for Disneyland, is venturing into the world of immersive dining with a new spectacle restaurant called The Gallery in downtown Los Angeles.
Ulmer, now leading the multimedia production house Mousetrappe, has created the venue at 330 W. Olympic Blvd. to combine unique culinary experiences with cutting-edge projection mapping.
Originally, Ulmer notes that the iconic Enchanted Tiki Room attraction was envisioned as a Polynesian-themed restaurant by Walt Disney, but logistical challenges shifted its concept to an audio-animatronics revue.
“The Gallery aims to bring that initial vision back to life with a modern twist,” he says, referencing the rise of event-driven dining experiences reminiscent of popular music festivals like Coachella and blockbuster franchises.
The Gallery can accommodate 80 guests and features walls, ceilings, and communal tabletops where vivid, interactive visuals unfold throughout the course of the meal.
The restaurant’s inaugural showcase, titled Elementa, offers a five-course culinary journey for $200 per person, excluding drinks, and is orchestrated by chef in residence Joshua Whigham, who previously worked under José Andrés.
Elementa begins with an enticing root vegetable dish paired with digital flora that responds to guests’ movements, creating a unique interaction between diners and their surroundings.
Among the highlights is a duck presentation topped with molecular gastronomy foam, alongside enjoyable bursts of pixelated bubbles floating across the table.
Other dishes, such as a plated hamachi and seaweed course, depict schools of bright digital fish swimming amidst coral imagery, contributing to the immersion of the dining experience.
However, some visual effects occasionally suffer from computer buffering, which detracts from the seamless experience.
Ulmer has partnered in this venture with Chuck Fawcett, an expert in animatronics with experience at Disney, Warner Bros., and Jim Henson Productions, and they share a vision for expansion.
While the focus is initially on refining Elementa, the duo is already eyeing potential new locations in entertainment hubs like Las Vegas and Orlando.
“We don’t want to be typecast,” Ulmer explains, emphasizing their ambition to explore diverse thematic experiences beyond the current presentation.
The upcoming themes include gospel-style brunches, all-ages matinees, and collaboration opportunities with film and music talents to showcase unique narratives through their lenses, hinting at future holiday-themed offerings.
One of Ulmer’s exciting ideas is to create a Christmas dinner experience, pondering whether to approach it in a Dickensian, Baz Luhrmannian, or Sleep No More-style.
The timing of The Gallery’s grand opening coincided with the Themed Entertainment Awards, attracting a crowd of industry insiders from theme parks and entertainment.
Ulmer remarked on the experience, saying, “It was fun to see this through their eyes,” acknowledging a shared understanding of how narrative can evoke emotions and form lasting memories in themed experiences.
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