Their feats of daring

WHAT’S the most important thing in the restaurant or nightclub business? Ask anyone and the answer will most likely be: location, location, location. Richard Grossi, owner of Easton Gym, and Sid Krofft, a producer of “Land of the Lost,” “H.R. Pufnstuf” and many other Saturday-morning classics, took that belief to heart when it came to opening Eleven, their new restaurant/nightclub in West Hollywood.

In fact, both say that there would be no Eleven, were it not for its historic digs -- originally the First National Bank of Sherman in the 1920s, then the Larabee Sound Studio, where Prince recorded “Purple Rain.”

“It was about the building. If it hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have done it,” Grossi says. “That neighborhood is the center of nightlife for the Westside. And it’s such an interesting building. Downtown, there are many old beautiful buildings that have character, but you don’t find many buildings outside of that area.”

Krofft concurred, having worked there. “When that building opened, Rich called me and asked me if I knew it. I said, ‘Of course I know it.’ I knew that Prince did ‘Purple Rain’ and a huge amount of stars recorded there. And we did an NBC special with Patti LaBelle there.”

Befitting both the history of the space and Krofft’s background, entertainment is a central part of the busy Eleven experience, along with music, dancing and food.

On a recent Friday evening, as the clock approaches 11, the downstairs bar area buzzes with activity, set against a 10-foot-tall fireplace designed by the makers of the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Upstairs, diners feast on hamachi sashimi, pan-roasted rib-eye, gnocchi parmesan in truffles and more from chef Vincent Manna.

As the lights dim, smoke billows up, and two women dressed in lingerie walk among the crowd holding a spotlight, setting the stage for the first of the shows that come every 15 minutes.

Though Eleven is still in its infancy -- having launched with Beyonce’s post-Grammy party Feb. 11 -- the crowd already has learned the drill. The bar revelers start downstairs then gather upstairs -- where many of the tables disappear for the transition to nightclub -- to view a male aerialist performing Cirque du Soleil-type acrobatics.

GROSSI developed the idea for the quick hits of theatricality, which last no more than a few moments, after his own experiences going to clubs and bars.

“A lot of times, shows would be too long, disruptive and change the energy of the place, so we wanted to do something that added flair and entertainment, but without bringing down the whole energy of the place,” he says. “So these are short bursts of entertainment, but they’re to the music, and the lights change, and something happens.”

As the night goes on, the shows change, with one involving a shirtless bartender dancing with two girls who pull him up to the DJ booth/loft above the main floor, and another finding two men intertwined in gymnastics. The constant flux of the performances may keep some people there, but it’s not enough for all.

“This is a place to go where we’re killing time,” says Kris Kaupaolo, hanging out with friends on the crowded sidewalk balcony. “It’s one drink, max.”

Why is that? Kaupaolo isn’t sure himself. “I wish I liked hanging out here more,” he says. “Maybe it’s too restaurant-like, a place to come to eat dinner more than hang out.”

Grossi admits that finding the line between nightclub and restaurant has required as many acrobatics as the aerial performers. “We’re pretty successful in both aspects of it. The dining has been very popular, as is the nightclub aspect of it, with our entertainment. So it’s trying to find that balance of when do we stop serving and go into nightclub mode,” he says, adding that they started out with DJs seven nights a week, but now have switched to just Fridays through Sundays and Tuesdays. “We’re trying to concentrate more on the weekends [for nightclubbing], ‘cause people were coming in late and wanted to eat.”

But because identity crises are not unusual for new businesses, Grossi and Krofft say they aren’t really concerned. Now that they’ve found their dream spot, they plan on being there for a long time. “One thing I learned from my gyms is you want to take it slow, get the right people, get the right mix, ‘cause there’s no such thing as a quick buck,” Grossi says. “We’re in it for the long term. We’re planning this place will be there for a long time. That’s why we put so much money into it and so much care into it.”

And they have a lot of history in that building to live up to.

weekend@latimes.com

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Eleven

Where: 8811 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood

When: Lunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; brunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; dinner, 6-10 p.m. Tuesdays-

Sundays. Nightclub closes at 2 a.m. Closed Mondays.

Price: No cover

Info: (310) 855-0800, www.eleven.la