Infuzion reopens, but hold the ice

When Paul Blacker opened the country’s first “ice bar” in Richmond a year and half ago, many were intrigued by the concept.

Customers would pay $15 to wear a parka and spend a few minutes in a giant freezer decked out with a bar made of ice while enjoying shots of vodka.

But the novelty didn’t quite work as a business plan, and within eight months Blacker’s dreams had melted. He filed bankruptcy and owed more than $2 million to the landlord and other vendors.

This week —more than a year after it closed — Infuzion has emerged from a deep freeze — this time with new owners and no ice bar, at least not initially.

“At this point, the ice bar is on hold,” said owner David Wheeler. “Our focus, as much as I love the Blackers, is to make the place entirely different.”

Wheeler is the head of Wheeler Development Group, which owns the building on Roseneath Road in Scott’s Edition, and was Blacker’s landlord. He said he is taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether to bring the ice bar back.

The restaurant reopened this week. Wheeler said he expects to reopen the nightclub portion of the space in late October.

This time around, Wheeler, who is launching the restaurant along with his wife, Julie, is putting the emphasis on the food. While the first incarnation of Infuzion was heavy on appetizers and light fare, Wheeler said now they have a full menu.

“We offer an upscale menu so folks can come after work and eat a good dinner,” he said.

Over the summer, Wheeler said, he and his wife put about $100,000 into redesigning the interior space.

This is the first restaurant for the Wheelers, who have owned a contracting company, Riverstone General Contractors, for the past 25 years. When Blacker went belly-up in July 2008, Wheeler said he searched for eight months to try and find a tenant. When that didn’t work, he and his wife decided to do it themselves.

The property is appraised at $922,000 by the city of Richmond.

“You could say 10 or 15 different things happened that led to it [closing],” said Wheeler. “I don’t know all the reasons, but I’d say city delays and the economy are the biggest impacts on why he didn’t make it.”

Wheeler said Blacker had to delay opening by five months while he waited for city permits and licenses. That pushed his launch date to just about the time the economy was turning ice-cold.

Blacker shut down Infuzion and a few months later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.

According to the court filings, he owed creditors more than $2 million, including about $1.5 million to Wheeler.

Blacker, who exited bankruptcy in April, owed money to the architect, his payroll company, a sign company and media companies.

Blacker also owed more than $90,000 to Gusti Restaurant Equipment, of which owner Joe Gusti says he has seen not a cent.

Blacker had paid half down on kitchen equipment from Gusti, a total of $175,000, and was leasing to own the rest.

“Needless to say, he went bankrupt and we lost the equipment,” Gusti said. He said Blacker told him that he had run out of money.

Gusti couldn’t take it back because the landlord had placed a lien on the equipment.

“The thing is, being an ice bar, maybe in a place like Myrtle Beach or something of that nature, maybe had a shot at making it,” said Gusti. “Depending on locals to come there to pay $15 to put a parka and drink a shot of vodka is a little ridiculous. Someone might do that once.”

According to Wheeler, the ice bar equipment is still in place, but the jury is out as to whether he plans to bring it back.

“Everyone remembers the ice bar, and no one had much bad to say,” said Wheeler. “People had a good experience. The business just didn’t work out.”

Al Harris covers the restaurant industry for BizSense. Please send news tips to Al@richmondbizsense.com.