The Devil's Den may finally have its devilish curse lifted once and for all.
Owners of the Seasoned Ticket, a Durham bar and grill, are in preliminary negotiations with Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst to consider opening their third location at the Devil's Den on Central Campus. The building has housed three different restaurants since being converted to an eating facility five years ago, and is currently used only for private events.
"We're trying to determine if it's feasible, and hopefully then we can put something together," said Nick Tiornack, co-owner of the Seasoned Ticket.
He and partner Peter Savarino first approached Wulforst several months ago about opening a restaurant at the Oregon Avenue facility, and they think it has the potential to be a gathering place for everyone at Duke.
"From what I understand, the Medical Center, the faculty, the staff and the students are all one big community," he said. "We want it to be wide open."
In order to build a customer base-and avoid the problems of unpopular previous tenants-the Seasoned Ticket owners are suggesting a membership-based restaurant in which patrons would pay a set fee at the beginning of the semester. According to the tentative proposal, members would get complimentary dinners Thursday through Saturday and could bring non-members along for an additional fee.
"There are things we feel will give us more stability, like food packages," Tiornack said. "Then students will have a vested interest in coming."
Wulforst expressed reservations about such a plan, however, saying that student interest is currently unknown and that having a membership plan could create an atmosphere of exclusivity.
Wulforst will continue negotiations with the Seasoned Ticket on the issue and will be meeting with the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee once that committee's membership for the year is set.
Student reaction to the Seasoned Ticket's proposal was mixed.
"I think it's a good idea...," junior Rakesh Jotwani said. "But after seeing how the Devil's Den failed, why would we expect this to be any different?"
While he liked the idea of having someplace to go on campus to watch basketball games and other sporting events, senior Ed Flowers was turned off by the membership proposal.
"I don't know if I would pay money at the beginning of the semester to go to a sports bar," he said. "I think I'd rather go someplace else and pay as I go."
It is still uncertain how the new facility could affect restaurants already on campus. Like the Armadillo Grill, the Seasoned Ticket would carry beer and wine and would target sports fans.
Although Armadillo management was unavailable for comment, Wulforst downplayed any potential competition. "Less than 12 percent of sales at Armadillo are liquor in the first place," he said.
While he said that several other area restaurants have expressed interest in moving into the Devil's Den, Wulforst said all of them had expressed concerns about the isolated location of the facility, and added that the Devil's Den only has 27 parking spots.
"If I could pick that building up and drop it on West Campus, it would be a home run," he said.
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