SugarHouse Casino’s new 30,000-square-foot event center opened in February. The space holds 1,000 guests for receptions or seats 500. The multipurpose facility has a 10,000-square-foot ballroom as well as amenities such as a box office, a coat check, pre-function space, a covered outdoor balcony, a greenroom, and Delaware River views. Built-in projectors and screens, house music, stages and risers, podiums, and lighting controls are available for use during events. Food is provided by Gibsons Restaurant Group, the center's exclusive caterer.
In January, AKA Rittenhouse Square hotel unveiled its new Penthouse Suites, designed by Nicholas Cardone to include rich hardwood floors, quartz countertops, and sophisticated furnishings. Each of the three 1,600-square-foot units features a dining room that can comfortably seat eight people for meetings or intimate group meals. In addition, the chic suites come with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a sunlit living room. Each suite is also equipped with two HD TVs, premium cable, Apple TV, USB docks, and charging stations.
The Little Lion opened in January. With 25-foot ceilings and dramatic architecture, the space offers a new option for events in Old City. Between the dining room, chef's counter/raw bar, two bars, lounge, high-top tables, and outdoor space, the 6,500-square-foot restaurant seats 200 guests. The in-house sound system can play music throughout the space, and televisions at the bar are available for visual presentations. The cuisine includes small plates and full-size entrées with Southern flair, and a specialty cocktail program focuses on seasonal ingredients. Taking a cue from the surrounding neighborhood, the decor includes a hint of Revolutionary inspiration.
Urban Farmer Steakhouse opened in December at the Logan hotel, across the street from the landmark Swann Fountain in Logan Circle. The star of the menu is the impressive selection of heritage-bred beef, but poultry, seafood, and vegetarian dishes appeal to diners who don't care for red meat. House-made pickles, locally sourced beverages, and rich side dishes round out the culinary offerings. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant, including patio space, seats 220 guests or holds 300 for receptions. The bar area fits 60 guests for happy hour, and a 14-seat audiovisual-equipped private room opens into the kitchen, making it ideal for small meetings, private meals, or chef demonstrations.
The Point Breeze section of Philadelphia welcomed Buckminster's in November. At the trendy yet casual neighborhood bar, the menu includes modernized, market-driven bistro food. The 1,200-square-foot space features a 24-seat dining room and an 11-seat bar. For buyouts, the restaurant holds 50 people for receptions.
Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar opened in Fishtown in November. The 7,500-square-foot space, which is set in a remodeled warehouse, seats 164 guests, including a 32-seat private wine room. The menu features contemporary Italian cuisine, and a TV screen and projector are available for presentations. In the coming months, the restaurant plans to add a patio with a fire pit and additional seating.
In November, acclaimed local chef Mike Stollenwerk opened 26 North BYOB in Old City. The seafood-centric menu showcases dishes like Sicilian-style calamari, pastrami-spiced mahi mahi, and skate wing with truffled spätzle. Exposed brick, subway tile, and Edison lightbulbs lend industrial charm to the dimly lit space. The venue can accommodate groups for lunch or dinner; buyouts are available for 50 seated guests or 100 cocktail-style.
Valley Forge Casino Resort debuted its new 1920s-style nightclub, the Vault, in late October. The renovated space measures 3,233 square feet and is licensed to accommodate 560 people. Dark colors, leather seating, and period-specific decor reflect the era, while the cocktail menu gives a modern twist to pre- and post-Prohibition drinks. The venue includes a new stage and professional-grade audio and computer-controlled lighting equipment.
National chain CorePower Yoga opened its first Philadelphia location in December in Rittenhouse Square. Built with green practices in mind, the venue incorporates recycled products and sustainable materials into its design. In total, the yoga studio measures 4,470 square feet, including two separate class spaces that accommodate 65 and 50 participants, respectively. Planners can reserve the space for group classes or "sweatworking,” or active networking, events. Amenities include changing rooms with showers, private lockers, and a retail boutique.
Cappelli Brothers Cigar Company is now available for catered events, with food from the brothers' new pizzeria located next door. The menu includes a selection of fresh soups, sandwiches, flatbreads, and charcuterie. Measuring 1,000 square feet, the smoker-friendly space is split into two levels: an upstairs B.Y.O. bar and a downstairs cigar den, both of which feature flat-screen TVs. In total, the venue seats 28 people, with room for an additional 17 standing guests. It originally opened in 2014 and began private event rentals in January.
Atop chic new Center City hotel the Logan is a 4,000-square-foot alfresco lounge named Assembly. The space towers high above Philadelphia, with sweeping views of Logan Circle. The sophisticated atmosphere extends to its beverage program, which offers an extensive list of champagne by the glass. For events, the space can hold 100 seated guests or accommodate 150 cocktail style. It opened in April.
Following a $4.5 million overhaul of the Fishtown warehouse that once housed Ajax Metal Company, Philadelphia Distilling debuted a new headquarters on February 20. The 13,000-square-foot space includes production facilities, a 3,000-square-foot cocktail lounge, a 1,200-square-foot tasting room, a retail shop, and 3,000-square-feet of outdoor space. For events, the lounge accommodates 120 guests, the tasting room seats 40, and the outdoor space fits as many as 100. The hip, industrial venue serves craft cocktails, and food can be brought in from the planner’s caterer of choice.
The Garces Group, helmed by Iron Chef Jose Garces, opened 24 in November in West Center City. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant includes several spaces that can be used for events: the main dining room seats 75, a private dining room seats 24 for dinners or cooking classes, and the patio seats 40 or holds 75 for cocktails. Groups of as many as 150 can use the indoor space for cocktail-style parties. The menu features Italian fare like house-made cheese, salumi, pasta, and wood-fired pizza.
Cinder opened in Rittenhouse Square in November. The industrial-style interior features polished concrete floors, stone and copper elements, a 30-foot black walnut bar, and custom-made tables and light fixtures. The menu includes small plates, four different preparations of mussels, wood-fired pizzas, artisanal cheeses, and charcuterie, while the bar focuses on hard-to-find sours and ciders, with 32 varieties on tap. Spanning 2,400 square feet, the space seats 84 guests or holds 100 cocktail-style. Sidewalk seating will be available during warmer months.
La Cabra Brewing opened a new seven-barrel brewhouse in October in a renovated historic building in Berwyn. The bi-level space includes 1,200 square feet of public dining space on the first floor, as well as a 1,600-square-foot second floor and 300-square-foot mezzanine available for private events. The mezzanine, which overlooks the brewery, is ideal for seated dinners of as many as 15 guests; cocktail-style events for 150 guests can use the second floor, and both spaces are outfitted with televisions and sound systems. A fireplace and couches create a homey feel, while the Latin-inspired gastropub menu elevates the traditional brewpub experience with dishes like chimichurri flank steak and blackened mahi mahi tacos.
