Ali Nilforushan is one who spares no expense when it comes to doing things the right way.
Nilforushan, 31, is the owner of 4th & B, a popular entertainment venue located in downtown San Diego, Calif. Since acquiring 4th & B, he’s poured approximately $4.5 million into improving the facility, $300,000 of which was spent on the sound system alone.
“I did it because I really wanted to have a great place for good value to see a great concert,” he explained. “That to me was very important. That you were able to go for normal money and see a big name act, and be close to them. There’s not a bad seat in the house. The way the room was designed, everything is tiered, so you always have a clear shot at the stage.”
In 2003, Nilforushan was a partner in Pacific Entertainment LLC, which purchased 4th & B from its original owner, Bob Speth. The venue opened in 1995 when Speth converted an old bank building into the city’s newest concert facility.
“I went there many times and I loved the energy of the room,” Nilforushan explained of his interest in becoming a part owner of 4th & B. “It was such a pure place to see music.”
Prior to 4th & B, Nilforushan had spent more time around horses than concerts. Born in Tabriz, Iran, Nilforushan has been a competitive rider for more than 20 years and became the first Olympic equestrian from Iran when he competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. As such, he admitted that he’s learned several lessons since venturing into the entertainment industry, the biggest of which was finding out how difficult the San Diego market was.
“There’s so much to do — the ocean, restaurants — that you have to give people almost more than any other city,” said Nilforushan.
Thus, not long after his group acquired the venue, Nilforushan bought out his partners and gained full ownership. That wasn’t his original plan, but Nilforushan said that he was anxious to do more.
“It wasn’t progressing as fast as I wanted, and it wasn’t becoming what I wanted, so I just told everybody, either buy me out or sell it to me,” he explained. “One by one, I bought everybody out.”
After six months of negotiations, Nilforushan had the control to carry out his vision. In addition to improving what was already considered to be one of the better sounding venues around, Nilforushan went about making the facility better for customers. He moved the bar once situated on the north end of the room to the west side, and he also increased the total number of bars available.
Perhaps the most dramatic visual change was made to the north section of the venue, which originally was tiers of loge seating that usually remained empty because of its viewpoints and lack of comfort. Nilforushan converted that vast, static area into levels of VIP boxes and lounges, separated for privacy by plexiglass walls, and furnished with linen-covered cocktail tables and banquette couches. It is the area that he is now most proud of.
“That was all storage and disgusting,” Nilforushan said. “I remember when I didn’t own the place and I’d go to the VIP area and there was nothing VIP about it. I thought, ‘When I make my own place, every box is going to have a little wall separating it, so people don’t walk through my spot.’ I did it one time and had to rip it all out and do it again, because the step didn’t look right. That was a lot of visualization and seeing where to put things.”
Nilforushan says the VIP area is typically priced 20-30% more per ticket and is consistently sold out.
