Last Friday, there were just four days left until the doors opened for a private party at Beau Mohr's new multimillion-dollar restaurant and nightclub Pearl at Ala Moana Center — and it was still a construction site.

Booths and bar stools were unwrapped. Lighting was being installed. Blueprints were scattered about. A couple dozen construction workers, electricians and plumbers were at work. A fine sawdust mist filled the air.

But was Mohr worried? Nah! Optimistic and enthusiastic, he was instead up for offering a tour.

Much of our walk-through was of the what's-gonna-happen-in-this-corner-of-the-room variety. Merbau and mahogany floors in the main room, Spanish tile along walls, state-of-the-art audio and video equipment, miniature video screens above every liquid relief receptacle in the men's room ... that kind of stuff.

Pearl's planning began in October 2003, when Ala Moana Center owner General Growth Properties first contacted Mohr to gauge his interest in opening an upscale restaurant, lounge and nightlife venue in the center's new Ho'okipa Terrace project. Three years later, Pearl opens its doors to the public this weekend, putting its "Nightlife Reimagined" concept to the test with Honolulu patrons.

If Mohr's hard-labor-earned paint and dirt stains on his jeans are any indicator, Pearl should do well.

Oh, and he made deadline: A preview party Tuesday was packed, and cocktails flowed.

Some Pearl facts to know before you go:

Where is it? In Ala Moana Center's food-and-beverage-focused Ho'okipa Terrace, below Romano's Macaroni Grill.

Construction cost: $2.2 million or "probably a little more than that," Mohr said. "But it's gonna come across looking like a $3.5 million place when it opens."

Pearl's architects, interior designers and sound and audio designers have worked a variety of high-profile restaurant and nightclub properties including Atlanta's Encore Dance Club and Las Vegas' Tao at the Venetian and Tabu Ultra Lounge at the MGM Grand.

Broke ground: January 2006.

Owner: Mohr is Pearl's majority owner. A 16-year veteran of Honolulu restaurant and nightclub management, he was general manager of Ocean Club until January.

How big is it? The single-floor space is 5,435 square feet with raised multiple levels. Each of the three lounge areas will have its own design concept and be accessible and visible from anywhere in Pearl.

What are those three lounge areas? The main onyx bar houses the venue's dance floor and raised VIP lounge (with leather seating and illuminated mother-of-pearl ceiling). The crescent-shaped bar also serves as an illuminated runway for fashion shows. Bands and turntablists perform on a small, raised stage behind the bartenders.

Pearl's other two lounge areas are a semi-open-air terrace bar and a chandelier-lit "island bar" overlooking the entire room. Recessed ceiling-mounted LED lighting may be programmed in more than 16 million shades of color to quickly change the mood.

Is Pearl a nightclub, a lounge, or a restaurant? "It's not a pure nightclub. It's an upscale restaurant that has a dance floor. The bars are really there for socializing," Mohr said.

Much like Ocean Club, Pearl will offer different experiences as early evening crawls to late night. Doors will open at 4 p.m. daily "for the pau-hana crowd looking for food and cocktails after work," Mohr said.

Pearl will keep that vibe until about 10 p.m. "At that time ... boom! The volume of the music will get higher. The lighting in the room will dim. ... Then, Pearl will be more of a Vegas-style club. We'll have bottle service (and) reserved tables available."

Pearl will be open until 2 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 4 a.m. Fridays through Sundays.

What's the target crowd? Thirty-year-olds. Then, in opposing directions, patrons "in their 20s who want to act like they're in their 30s, and (patrons) in their 40s and 50s who wish they were still 30," Mohr said.

Food? Yes — an upscale tapas-style menu created by Donato Loperfido, formerly of Donato's Restaurant in Manoa Marketplace. Selections include prosciutto-wrapped kurobuta pork tenderloin, crisp-skinned onaga "puttanesca," raw Kumamoto oysters and Pearl's signature "fruits de mer," a fresh seafood melange.

The cocktail menu. Fresh-ingredient-infused drinks created for Pearl by Las Vegas-based mixologist Francesco Lafranconi, whose clients include the Wynn Las Vegas Resort & Casino (he designed more than 75 signature drinks for them).

Why a nightclub in a shopping center? "The trend (for malls) now is lifestyle centers — more boutique stores, food and beverage outlets (and) nightclubs," said Mohr. "The center is an asset. Why have this asset open only from 10 to 9 and closed the rest of the time?"

Pearl's interior was designed for socializing. Booths, bar stools and seating throughout the venue are raised to heights that encourage eye contact. "The room is designed for interaction — for people to look at each other," Mohr said. "That's why there are a lot of open spaces. The room is made to walk around."

Can I go this weekend? Private parties will affect Pearl's hours of operation today and Saturday. It will be open to the public from 9 tonight and tomorrow from midnight. Pearl begins its normal hours of operation on Sunday.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.