The Experiential Lounge and Event Space will Offer Craft Cocktails and Artisanal Menu Inspired by the Exploration of the Kola Nut
Flagship Location to Open in Spring 2016 in New York City's Meatpacking District
PURCHASE, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pepsi announces its plans to launch Kola House, the first experimental kola bar, restaurant, lounge and event space to open in the U.S. market. This first-of-its-kind hospitality venture is set to open its doors in spring 2016, with its flagship location in New York City's Meatpacking District.
To launch the Flagship location, Pepsi partnered with Lisle Richards and Eric Marx of well-known hospitality group The Metric (behind the Gilded Lily, The Wayfarer and more).
"We wanted to create a modern hub for consumers to share social and immersive experiences that were anchored in the exploration of our cola's artisanal craft and flavor," shared Seth Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo North America Beverages. "The Kola House represents a new space for us to support our consumer-first approach to drive authenticity and innovation around our beverage offerings and ideals."
Kola House's experimental and elemental themes honoring the kola nut will be brought to life through resident cocktail curator Alex Ott. Ott's unrivaled background in flavor chemistry and his superior knowledge of food and beverage pairings and global palates make him the ideal mastermind behind the development of Kola House's cocktails and elixirs. A full artisanal menu from a rising resident executive chef will also offer specialty plates inspired by the kola nut.
The flagship location will also serve as a transformative event space for pop culture moments in music, art, style, film, sports and more. Pepsi is leveraging its broad partnership with Live Nation to help build out a special music series, Live at the Kola House, which will serve as tent pole moments throughout its year-long programming. Each of the intimate, stripped down performances will bring fans up-close to the artists both visually and acoustically for the once-in-a-lifetime shows.
"Through curating and producing the live music series for Pepsi, guests at Kola House will enjoy distinctive engagements by not-to-be-missed artists," said Darin Wolf, Live Nation's Executive Vice President, Media & Sponsorship.
To achieve the aesthetic, PepsiCo Design, led by Mauro Porcini, leveraged the creativity of an internal team and partnered with interior design firm, Kravitz Design Inc. "Kravitz Design worked closely with the Pepsi team to create a space that brings the Kola House vision to life as a multifaceted culinary and culturally exciting experience." said Lenny Kravitz, President of Kravitz Design Inc.
Kola House will also include a modular series at key events in pop culture that will replicate the experience of the flagship location, with local themes and ties woven into the food, beverage and designs. The first of the modular locations will open as an exclusive VIP space in San Francisco during Super Bowl 50, at Pier 70 – a collaboration between Pepsi and DIRECTV announced last month.
For more information and updates about Kola House, please visit www.kolahouse.com.
About PepsiCo:
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate.
About The Metric:
The Metric is an innovative hospitality, nightlife, and operations management group, founded by industry veterans Eric Marx and Lisle Richards. The Metric's success is derived from their ability to seamlessly blend style, sophistication and quality service. This outlook has garnered notoriety for their multifaceted venues, which speak to a plethora of customers and will continue to do so within the company's rapidly growing collection. Since inception their impressive portfolio consists of New York City restaurants The Wayfarer, Serafina, and The Monarch Room along with Nightclubs Gilded Lily and LeGrande. Additionally, they execute all in-room dining and catering for The Quinn and Time Hotels in New York City. The Metric will debut their newest venue, Kola House, in collaboration with PepsiCo to introduce a brand new dining and entertainment concept to the marketplace.
About Kravitz Design, Inc.:
Kravitz Design, Inc. (KDI) was founded by Renaissance man and legendary music icon Lenny Kravitz. Focusing on residential, commercial, and product design, the company's team encompasses a diverse group of creative professionals that have executed a variety of projects throughout the world. KDI touts a portfolio of noteworthy ventures around the world, with a range that includes Paramount Bay a 47-story bay front condominium project in Miami, development of pop-up environments for Pepsi's new Kola House hospitality brand in Milan and Dubai, luxury suites in Las Vegas and Miami Beach for the SLS Hotel brand, a collection of ceramic tiles for Lea Ceramiche and created a collection of sunglasses and watches for the Brazilian brand Chilli Beans. Most recently KDI undertook the creative vision for the re-launch of world renowned Parisian nightclub L'Arc, designed a limited edition camera and case for Leica called the "Correspondent" and launched a 20 piece furniture collection with CB2.
www.kravitzdesign.com @kravitz_design.
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world's leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
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SOURCE PepsiCo
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