Audio By Carbonatix
Award-winning New York City bar Employees Only is expanding its scope by opening locations in Singapore, Austin, and Miami Beach.
According to the New York Times, Employees Only will open in the Washington Park Hotel complex, located at 1050 Washington Ave. The hotel’s website confirms the imminent arrival of the beloved bar and restaurant, stating, “NYC’s beloved speakeasy, Employees Only, will make its first foray outside Manhattan with the Miami debut as the hotel’s signature restaurant and bar this fall.”
The hotel features 181 guest rooms and five suites and boasts more than an acre of garden space. New York-based real-estate developer Witkoff purchased the property in 2013 and recently completed a renovation of the space.
The Miami Beach location of Employees Only will be owned and managed by one of the New York bar’s original partners, Billy Gilroy. The Singapore location, owned by Igor Hadzismajlovic, will open in the city’s Chinatown district as early as June. The Austin location, owned by Jason Kosmas, is planning a fall opening at a location to be announced.
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Employees Only opened in New York’s West Village in 2004 and has amassed a laundry list of accolades, including several Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards for World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Drinks Selection in 2011 and Best American Bar Team in 2015. The speakeasy is also ranked in World’s 50 Best Bars.
Each evening, a long line of patrons forms outside the bar’s doors for a chance to savor the bar’s takes on classic and contemporary cocktails. White-jacketed bartenders turn out as many as 183,000 cocktails per year in the New York location. Employees Only also offers an impressive food menu, serving everything from a caviar board to elk loin. No word yet on whether the New York food and drink menus will be served in Miami Beach or if Gilroy and the team will create new offerings designed specifically for South Florida’s sunny climate. Stay tuned for more details.
