Century Grand Bringing a Vintage Train Station Cocktail Experience to Phoenix
Award-winning Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality announces new concept – Century Grand in Phoenix, AZ
PRESS RELEASE (Phoenix, AZ) — Created by multi-award-winning Jason Asher, Rich Furnari, and the Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality team behind UnderTow, CounterIntuitive and Pobrecito, proudly presents their newest concept, Century Grand, located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Since 2015, Barter & Shake is well-known for its eccentric, outside-the-box concepts. With progressive cocktail offerings, uniquely procured ingredients and mesmerizing atmospheres, they take every element of the guest experience into consideration. Century Grand, the newest addition to the Barter & Shake family, intends to push the boundaries and expectations of immersive hospitality.
Century Grand's concept, like all other Barter & Shake venues, is inspired by various historical moments, people and places. Creatively they produced a fictional story that guests can experience through their cocktail menus, food offerings and the physical building itself. A variety of components inspire this venue: art-deco, railroads, prohibition, and (most importantly) the individuals behind it all.
"We want to take our patrons on a journey with us. As we evolve as a company, so does our story and our venues," says Jason Asher. "We want the guest to feel that in every single minute detail during their visit. They've decided to spend their valuable time with us. In return, we want to offer them the coolest, most memorable food and beverage experience possible."
Barter & Shake has excitedly added some new talent to operate Century Grand. They've hired Sacha Levine as Executive Chef, previously known for her time with James Beard winner Chef Charleen Badman at FnB and as the co-Executive chef at Ocotillo. Also added to the roster is John Christie, formerly the Director of Craft Spirits for Young's Market; he comes with over 20 years of spirit industry experience and will be responsible for Grey Hen, a smaller venue within Century Grand. Christie will be curating and managing the most extensive single barrel selection of whiskeys in the U.S.
"This is by far the most aggressive single barrel selection of whiskeys that I've ever seen one venue acquire," says John Christie. He further explains, "We have over 80 single barrels that will be incorporating into our cocktail program and available for retail that the customer can purchase and take home. It's just incredible!"
The building that Century Grand will call home was recently re-built nearly two years ago, previously home to Gino's East and Hazelwood's. The past few months, it once again has undergone a massive transformation. General Contractor Wesley James, the man responsible for building UnderTow, has added various unique architectural elements to bring this concept to life. These elements include a fullsized faux train car, a two-story exterior brick building to reflect a turn-of-the-century storefront, home to Grey Hen, and art-deco-style concrete walls to mimic the feel of an early twentieth-century train station.
Furnari states, "Century Grand is our most ambitious project to date with multiple cocktail experiences, locally-focused innovative cuisine, a progressive natural wine program, and one of the heartiest single barrel spirits selections in the country."
Since its inception, UnderTow, their three-year-old tiki-inspired concept, has been adorned with local and national accolades. These include: Arizona Restaurant Association's Foodist Awards "Best Beverage Program" and "Best Cocktail", Phoenix Magazine's Best of Phoenix "Best Cocktail Bar", a national Top 10 nomination for the illustrious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards "New American Cocktail Bar" category, and is a top-ranked tiki bar by https://critiki.com. Additionally, Jason Asher has won numerous awards in the mixology industry, including GQ's “Most Inspired Bartender”, Food Network Chopped Champion, and Foodist Awards “Top Mixologist”.
Century Grand is slated to open its doors to the public in early October 2019. Located on Indian School Road and 36th Street, Barter & Shake is pleased to continue developing their concepts in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
About Barter & Shake: Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality is a food and beverage ownership and management group with a simple objective: to push the boundaries of the guest hospitality experience through world-class, cocktaildominant beverage programs within an environment that is perpetually captivating and imaginative. With a commitment to procuring exceptional products, Barter & Shake focuses on flavors, curating obscure and creative ingredients, generous hospitality and the unparalleled, immersive guest experience. Barter & Shake aspires to be a pillar in its local community and within the realm of world-renowned food and beverage concepts. Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality concepts include various multi-award-winning cocktail-centric bars located in Phoenix, AZ. For more information, please visit https://bartershake.com. For media Inquiries, contact media@bartershake.com.