The after-5 crowd gets attention
For many, nothing signals the end of a workday quite like a cocktail in a cozy setting. The jacket comes off. The world reboots.
It”™s a point not lost on regional venues.
From the leafy corners of northern Westchester to the hustle-bustle of downtown White Plains, facilities are incorporating nightlife in their business plans.
Le Ch̢teau in South Salem, a fine French restaurant in a hillside estate built by J.P. Morgan in 1907, has opened J.P.Ӫs Lounge, a second-floor space designed for casual dining complete with wine bar and fireplace.
“We recognized that there were a lot of businesspeople from Ridgefield (Conn.) and right in our own backyard who did not want to come out with a jacket,” said Francene Kiernan, administrator at Le Château. “We wanted to make smaller plates, thinking you could go out with your friends and have a taste of this or that, with a lot of inexpensive wines by the glass.”
Dark, hardwood floors with soft lighting hark to a rustic pub.
In Rye Brook, golf, hotel and conference center Doral Arrowwood recently finished a facelift to The Pub to make the on-premise eatery more of a nightspot.
A wrap-around bar sits adjacent to a fire-lit living room lounge.
“We installed a 590-gallon saltwater fish tank in the entryway, redesigned the walls, refinished the hardwood flooring and made some changes to the tile around the bar area and to the lighting,” said Beverage Manager Michael Bullers.
Music, entertainment and dancing are available on Friday and Saturday nights; sports promotions are huge for The Pub and its 15 high-definition flat screen TVs.
Said Bullers: “The Yankees always fill the house.”
Kiernan said special promotions like Thursday ladiesӪ nights at J.P.Ӫs Lounge tie-in nicely with the introduction of wines by-the-glass and Ch̢teau bar burgers.
But “we also have a great facility for a corporate meeting in the dining room downstairs, where we can fit up to 150.”
Tawa, an Indian bread bar in Stamford, Conn., swaps Le Ch̢teauӪs concept and features Upstairs, a full-dining room on the second floor, with a full-service bar serving small bites downstairs at The Bread Bar to greet guests as they enter.
Cb5 Restaurant Group is opening China White, a sleek Chinese dumpling and noodle house on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich, Conn., and on Anderson Hill Road in Purchase. China White will feature a late-night menu with appetizers and dim sum and a full bar.
The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, in downtown White Plains has banked on a similar concept.
Restaurateur and Chef Anthony Goncalvez recently opened Bellota, a more casual version of fine-dining establishment 42, featuring small plates and tapas meant to share.
Downstairs, the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester created a nightlife component to its lobby lounge, featuring themed nights and small plates in addition to a full menu.
Lower price points and a relaxed atmosphere attract the consumer who wants to feel comfortable ordering a drink and an appetizer while lingering with friends.
“We”™re hearing through the chambers of commerce that our regular customers are excited,” Kiernan said. “They”™re saying, ”˜Yes, this is great.”™”