The basics:

• LV Hospitality‘s Dream360 combines hibachi dining, Topgolf Swing Suites
• Venue will transform from family-friendly to an exclusive lounge at night
• Designed to offer multifaceted experience blending dining and entertainment

A Hudson County-based hospitality group is bringing an innovative concept that blends golf simulator suites and hibachi to American Dream.

Set to open in June, Dream360 is billed as a “first-of-its-kind dining and entertainment destination” that seeks to redefine the standard for immersive hospitality experiences in the tri-state area.

According to LV Hospitality, the 23,000-square-foot venue will have a high-end, theatrical hibachi experience from Sekai Hibachi and eight state-of-the-art interactive suites powered by Topgolf. The restaurant will occupy 6,000 square feet and have 12 tables that seat between eight to 10 guests.

By day, Dream360 will offer a welcoming, family-friendly environment for visitors at the Meadowlands megamall. Then, at night, it will transform into an exclusive lounge featuring live DJs, curated cocktails and private event spaces.

Marcelo Martins, a partner at LV Hospitality, said, “Just from our experience with our previous venues and ventures, and market research, we identified a little bit of a void in the market …Consumers are looking for more of a multifaceted concept where they can come dine and then experience an entertainment aspect. People aren’t looking to go out and dine in one place and then go to a lounge or club anymore.”

‘Que what?

This isn’t LV Hospitality’s first venue at American Dream. In July 2022, House of ‘Que, a Texas-style barbecue joint, opened. In addition to wings, brisket, pulled pork and ribs, the eatery offers game day specials, streaming sports events and dueling pianos performances.

The location came about a decade after the first House of ‘Que opened in Hoboken.

LVH’s portfolio also includes The Highwood at Port Imperial in Weehawken. The riverfront restaurant and bar’s menu includes sandwiches, pizza, burgers, salads, seafood, sliders, sushi and poke bowls.

“The Highwood opened in August of 2022 – the peak of the pandemic. With our location being right outside New York City, at that time the city had different restrictions on food and beverage outlets, which really gave us an opportunity and gave us exposure to the kind of New York City clientele,” Martins said.

“With our venue strategically right outside of the Lincoln Tunnel, we’re able to cater to the consumer market in Manhattan and also the New Jersey market,” he said. “Being in a market like Weehawken, which is up and coming with a lot of waterfront development and a higher residential income area, has really granted us the opportunity to put a good product out and it’s done very well for us. It’s a venue we’re very proud of.”

A growing ‘Dream’

After noting American Dream’s vast array of dining, entertainment and other attractions, Martins said, “We evaluated all the current concepts that were in place. There was this need for something along the lines of more of a virtual concept that could incorporate food and beverage.”

“We wanted to stay away from the arcades, and we wanted to stay away from the virtual gaming. We wanted something that was a little bit more adult and fit the criteria of lifestyle marketing. And the Topgolf opportunity came about with collaborating with the owners of the mall and collaborating with the principals of the group.

“As far as the Japanese hibachi, it was a void that needed to be filled in the mall,” he said. “And, granted our relationship with the mall, we saw an opportunity to combine the two under one roof.”

Within New Jersey, Topgolf Swing Suites has additional locations at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, iPlay America in Freehold, Adventure Sports & Entertainment in Jackson, Montclair State University in Montclair and 1776 in Morristown.

Martins believes the newest location will differ from other Topgolf sites because it will give consumers “a place that they want to stay” because of its “great food and beverage program.”

Stay, play, eat

“And the production and AV setup that we have in place really allows us to take the nightlife experience a little bit further … the way we’ve set up the venue aesthetically and our AV capabilities and production capabilities grants us the opportunity to host some light night shows and different forms of entertainment at night,” Martins said. “And then, of course, having the Topgolf Swing Suites, which caters to somebody that’s looking to come in for a few hours, play golf and enjoy some food and have their own private little suite to spend a few hours rather than jump around from venue to venue.”

When it comes to Martins’ favorite part of Dream360, he what excites him the most is “the ability to be multifaceted and incorporate a couple of different brands under one roof.”

“It’s the first time we’ve been able to do that,” he said. “Dream360 is a venue made up of three concepts – premium Japanese hibachi, the Topgolf Swing Suites and a bar-lounge area that’s kind of like the hub … I think the setup that we have and the uniqueness of the concepts that we’ve incorporated under one roof is pretty cool. I don’t think that’s been done to the extent that we’re trying to do here in New Jersey, at least.”

A spokesperson for American Dream told NJBIZ, “Dream360 is going to be another great addition to American Dream. It’s a perfect venue for entertaining clients, corporate outings, celebrations or just a fun outing for family and friends.”

Looking ahead

While Martins could not comment specifically on other projects LV is working on, he said, “We are definitely in the process of getting close to being able to disclose the opening of two more concepts.”

“One being another food and beverage restaurant and another being a little bit of a bigger space that accommodates grander shows and different types of events,” he said.

For LV Hospitality and its team of veterans, with more than 30 years of industry experience, Martins said their plan is to “continue building these concepts that cater to consumer seeking both food and beverage and an entertainment experience.”

“And, having opportunity to really get ahead of the curve and see what’s next for the industry. And I think that’s what we always try to do here internally with our team, is just create concepts that become brands rather than just individual venues that have a short shelf life,” he said. “I think we’ve been very successful in that so far. And that’s where the direction of LVH is really going.”