Valencia Town Center visitors may have noticed a white banner announcing the opening of Black ‘N Blue, a new entertainment destination replacing EMC Seafood & Raw Bar.
The restaurant and lounge promise to bring features such as a large 360-degree bar, games and gourmet-style food menu with what owners called “a Los Angeles feel.”
“Black ‘N Blue will be more of an entertainment venue,” said Lee Kan, general partner of Zao Brands, which owns the new restaurant, The Bunker Hill, Wokano and other eateries across Southern California. “Santa Clarita doesn’t have good entertainment areas so I want to bring this all under one roof. Restaurants offer a two-hour experience. I want to offer four hours.”
Kan revealed EMC, which opened August 2018, had struggled to stay in business due, in part, to its location.
“One of the challenges that we have in Valencia is that it’s a very saturated area. There’s lots of restaurants and not enough eaters,” he said. “We have nine other locations for EMC that are performing well but this one did not, unfortunately.”
To offer something different to the area, Kan said the project will offer a 50-seat bar with “regular cocktails on one side and higher-end drinks like scotch and whiskey on the other,” as well as a section for billiards, wine tasting, a lounge patio with fire pits and live music.
Black ‘N Blue will also offer a formal dining experience with a limited menu geared toward serving smaller plates, as well as some EMC-inspired dishes due to popularity. “The food will complement the drinks, as opposed to the other way around,” said Kan.
The new venue is in the remodeling stages and is slated to have its soft opening Tuesday, June 18. Business hours are expected to run from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
A celebratory event is scheduled for Monday, June 17, from 6 to 9 p.m., where attendees will have the opportunity to preview Black ‘N Blue’s food and drink menu. There is an entry fee of $20 and all proceeds will go toward the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, said Kan.
Black ‘N Blue is located at 24300 Town Center Drive, Suite 110.
