The Jordan Dining District was the brainchild of a well-known commercial real estate developer. Modeled after other successful business improvement districts (BIDs) seen in New York City and San Francisco, this existing restaurant row needed strong branding and an integrated marketing plan to attract investors. Because consumers already frequented the neighborhood to dine, we suggested a branding campaign to reinforce and grow the brand perception of the existing international restaurants. We worked to transform the current neighborhood image to a recognizable brand that represented an exotic, multicultural dining experience for people who love adventure.

The developer's concept was to take fourteen existing, independent restaurants, located along a quarter mile of road, and improve the neighborhood through a public-private partnership. Traditionally, these partnerships ask businesses in a defined area to pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. Thus the services provided by BIDs are supplemental to those already provided by the municipality. Other successful BIDs have made capital improvements and served as a catalyst to other efforts, including marketing and branding the improved location.

The proposed dining district was located in the heart of a thirty mile radius that ballooned to 600,000 people each work day. On average, each person was estimated to have an annual average household income of $70,000. With a high disposable income level and large customer universe the location was well-positioned for significant growth. The project faced challenges though in that the existing brand image of the neighborhood was poor, and restaurants were competing on price. The key to success in building and growing an international dining district was changing consumer perceptions. We proposed this be done through small renovations to the restaurant row, and big renovations to the neighborhood's brand.