BaseLine’s Out-of-State Buildup

BaseLine Construction Co. is another local company that has extended its reach outside California.

The Newport Beach-based builder is currently handling construction of the Clubhouse . . . Where You Belong, a two-story, 17,000-square-foot golf-themed restaurant in South Coast Plaza, and the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Previous projects include Planet Hollywood at South Coast Plaza and the Garage video arcade in Orange.

Owner Rick Ethell started hammering at an early age, taking summer construction jobs while attending Corona del Mar High School. After graduation in 1976, he honed his skills as an apprentice carpenter. And in 1982, he founded his own business, which now has about 14 employees.

Over the years, Ethell zeroed in on the restaurant construction business. It’s exacting work, he said, requiring strict attention to detail to accommodate appliances that will be installed later, such as sinks, ranges, grills and fryers.

“It’s all a very complicated puzzle,” he said. “And you have to make sure it’s very well coordinated so that when they eventually do install all those pieces, it goes off very well.”

Ethell’s first theme restaurant project was the Planet Hollywood across from South Coast Plaza about eight years ago.

“That was kind of my takeoff into the themed environment,” he said.

Since then, he has added other notable notches to his tool belt, including the Gotham Hall restaurant and nightclub in Santa Monica and House of Blues in Los Angeles.

“We’ve become the builder of some of the upscale theme concepts,” said John Parks, who handles sales and marketing. “We’re sort of in a unique little niche.”