NEW YORK --Beverage maker PepsiCo Inc. is getting into the restaurant business with plans to launch Kola House, “the first experimental kola bar, restaurant, lounge and event space to open in the U.S. market.”
PepsiCo follows the lead of other consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, such as Chobani and Nestle, that have opened restaurants and cafes as extensions of their marketing.
This hospitality venture is set to open its doors in spring 2016, with its flagship location in Chelsea near New York City’s meatpacking district.
To launch the flagship location, Pepsi partnered with Lisle Richards and Eric Marx of 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,” said Seth Kaufman, chief marketing officer for 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.”
Resident cocktail curator Alex Ott will bring Kola House’s “experimental and elemental themes honoring the kola nut” to life, the company said.
Ott’s background in “flavor chemistry” and his knowledge of food and beverage pairings and global palates make him the ideal “mastermind” behind the development of Kola House’s cocktails.
A full artisanal menu from a resident executive chef will also offer specialty plates inspired by the kola nut.
The location will also serve as an 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.
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, musician and president of Kravitz Design Inc.
Before the 5,000-square-foot location opens, Kola House will exist as a modular series at key events 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
Purchase, N.Y.-based 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 foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
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