Netflix will open retail locations with themed restaurants and live entertainment: Report

Netflix is preparing to make further incursions into the real in order to promote its virtual offerings.

Josh Simon, the streaming giant's vice president of consumer products, recently told Bloomberg that Netflix is planning to open multiple brick-and-mortar locations. While the company has rolled out dozens of pop-up stores in recent years, the so-called Netflix House will reportedly be a fixed establishment where fans can immerse themselves in the fantasies they alternatively consume on the couch.

The company reportedly plans to have two Netflix Houses by 2025 and many more internationally soon thereafter.

"We've seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we've been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level," said Simon.

The company's intention appears more ambitious than simply creating its equivalent to the Disney Store, but not so ambitious as to create its own version of Disneyland. These complexes will combine retail, dining, and ticketed live entertainment.

According to Bloomberg, while the Netflix House will be fixed in place, the menu, retail space, and live experiences will rotate, likely depending on whatever series is most popular or in need of promotion. Depending on the installation, the restaurant experience could range from casual to high-end dining. As for the particulars of the store's features, Simon provided no details, as the final decisions have yet to be made.

Notwithstanding the ambiguity over what might be found inside the Netflix Houses, the company appears to have beta-tested some features in recent years.

In July 2021, the company opened a faux video store in Los Angeles emulating the style of a 1990s rental shop to promote "Fear Street."

In November 2021, Netflix launched "Stranger Things" pop-up stores in New York City and Los Angeles, peddling limited-edition merchandise and photo opportunities aimed at generating buzz for the show.

The company did something similar in NYC in 2022, teaming up with Bloomingdale's to promote the second season of its show "Bridgerton" and push its corresponding "regency-core" aesthetic, reported Variety.

The company went a step farther last October, opening its first multi-title brick-and-mortar destination in Los Angeles. The 10,000-square-foot, two-story store, which remained opened to the public until Jan. 6, sold paraphernalia from Netflix original series and the makings of social media content as a means to generate buzz.

Netflix's consumer-facing pitch went thusly: "Watching at home is one way to immerse yourself in your favorite Netflix shows — but now, you can experience your faves IRL, and even take a bit of that world home with you. ... In addition to being able to score merch you can’t find anywhere else, Netflix at The Grove will also offer interactive photo opportunities."

There is also precedent for Netflix dining experiences.

In March 2022, Netflix teamed up with Postmates and a pair of chefs from a restaurant featured in its docuseries "Bad Vegan" to briefly roll out a three-course meal for fans in NYC.

In another marketing ploy this past June, Nerflix launched a pop-up eatery in Los Angeles called Netflix Bites, again featuring chefs in some of its shows.

Netflix has launched over 40 pop-up locations to date.

Variety noted that while the planned Netflix Houses amount to a natural progression, their purpose will be to support the streaming service, a least for the foreseeable future.

Rick Munarriz, a senior media analyst with the investment advice company the Motley Fool, told NPR, "Netflix is an ecosystem. It opened a merchandise shop a couple of years ago. It's investing in mobile games. It's more than just a place for your remote control to gravitate to at the end of a long day. ... Success in the real world through location-based entertainment is the spoils of victory for a leading tastemaker. If Disney and NBC Universal can operate theme parks, I give Netflix a decent shot of succeeding with this venture."

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