Interview with Michael Grozier at Stella Artois VIP Lounge Opening for Ritz Raleigh
On July 29 Shutter 16 got the exclusive on the new Ritz’ Stella Artois VIP Lounge. During this grand opening. Michael Grozier was there for the down-low on The Ritz, the newest vip venue in Raleigh. Grozier happens to be the Live Nation Executive VP of Clubs and Theaters, and has been GM of International House of Blues; not to mention that he’s severely down-to-earth and inspired.
During our short interview, we really got a good feel for what his vision is for the Ritz and across-the-board with venues in the country. For Raleigh in particular, he has chosen the resident-artists Louis St. Lewis and Nate Sheaffer for their newly-renovated entrance-way, and more of their work is found scattered throughout the venue and VIP lounge.
Here are some photos that we grabbed of the intimate corners of the new space: 
Photo of two VIP girls: Nehmenla Dungee and Alex Moreno 
Overheard through the crowd: “best bar tenders in town,” and the service quality didn’t stop there. 
Atypical of the average club, these door-men/women, tenders, drink-servers and bar tenders are all unique, good at their jobs and seem very content with what they do.
One important aspect of this venue’s past year under new management was renovations: heating and cooling, improved bathrooms, state-of-the-art lighting (which was the very first thing that we noticed about the huge space), new smoking deck, parking accommodations and the brand new lounge.
One of the most astounding renovations that they’ve undergone is their calendar (see below):
