One of India's biggest and most successful bar chains – Social, recently launched their largest outlet yet. The Sarjapur Social in Bangalore, spans across a whopping 15000 sq.ft., and is the largest among the 21 outlets. It boasts a unique design, sure to turn many heads and keep the place buzzing.

Restore Design Private Limited, the retail design firm for Social, believes that every Social outlet must have a story to tell. It’s no different for their newest pub, Sarjapur Social. An empty shell of a partly constructed space on the top floor of a commercial property was transformed to look like an abandoned penthouse that has been vandalised. Sarjapur Social is also inspired by the Playboy penthouse created by Hugh Hefner.

The moment we had the idea of an abandoned penthouse, vandalised and left to decay, everything else simply fell into place. From an executional perspective, we were inspired by the Playboy Penthouse created by Hugh Hefner, the Playboy magazine founder who knew everything about how to get a party going. It also fit perfectly with Social’s philosophy of recycle and upcycle. Which is why we chose an empty shell of a partly constructed space and recreated it into something beautiful.” said Federico Fraternale, Head of Design, Restore, the design firm that conceived and executed the design idea for Sarjapur Social.

So every element at Sarjapur Social manifests this thought. The marble flooring, the retro furnishing, the fresco, the long winding staircase, the chandeliers hark back to a time when things were less rushed, with fewer distractions in the way.

Sharing his thoughts, Riyaaz Amlani, Managing Director, Impresario Entertainment Hospitality, owners of Social, said: “When Restore Design shared the concept of a vandalised penthouse, I felt it was a rather novel idea. I found the thought of creating something beautiful and evocative out of a place that looks abandoned and vandalised hugely exciting. It is a wonderful ambience where people can get together and unwind over long, relaxed conversations. It’s a refreshing change from the fast paced world we live in.”

Which is why, at Social, customers are encouraged to put away their devices and be… social. So get off social media and rediscover the lost art of conversations IRL. And there’s no better place to do that than the relaxed, decadent setting of an abandoned penthouse that has been vandalised. So Sarjapur Social encourages customers to sit back, enjoy a drink and have a nice, leisurely chat. After all, that’s what being social and Social are all about. Which is why the spaces at Social have been consciously created to encourage conversations, get to meet new people and get to know friends even better.

Having said that, Social is more than just socialising. It’s about making a difference to the society in which we co-exist. It is for this reason that Social is particular about caring for the environment in which they exist. Social’s operations are designed to be eco-friendly and of service to the local community. Social actively works with artisans of local communities, creating awareness and spreading the word about their creative abilities. And be Social in the truest sense of the term.

Sarjapur Social is the latest project handled by Restore Design for Impresario Entertainment Hospitality, the owners of a range of hospitality brands like Social, Smoke House Grill, Mocha Bar brands, among others. Apart from creating and executing the design experience for a range of Social outlets, Restore has handled the group’s other brands like Smoke House Grill, as well.

About Restore

At Restore, we are delighted to have created the design experience for Sarjapur Social. It comes from an observation that we are increasingly living in a world that’s undifferentiated and complex. Most customers can barely tell the difference, as most retail experiences are steeped in sameness.

At the heart of Restore is the belief that a bold and impactful brand truth is the only source of differentiation for all customer experiences. We call this Brand Code. Keeping the Brand Code at the centre, we use a rigorous process to provide specialised services. Last but certainly not least, we understand brands. And how they work. We understand shoppers. And how they think, feel and behave. We understand retail. Its role, intricacies and the ground realities within which it operates. And this helps us in creating differentiated, meaningful and enjoyable customer experiences.

Profile – Head of Design – Federico Fraternale

Federico Fraternale is the Head of Design at Restore Design. He led the team that conceived and executed the design experience at Sarjapur Social. At Restore, Federico heads a team of over 25 interior designers, product designers, architects and visual merchandisers. Born and brought up in Italy, Federico studied at the Politecnico di Milano where he specialised in Product Design. Fed’s work has been showcased at the Fall Design Week, Milan and has won numerous awards including the A’Design Award, in multiple design categories. His mission at Restore is to explore India’s design ethos and put Restore on the global design map. Speaking on the design idea for Sarjapur Social, Fed said: “What I found really interesting was the thought of turning an empty shell of a party constructed space into looking like an abandoned and vandalised penthouse. From an executional perspective, we were inspired by the Playboy Mansion created by Hugh Hefner. And once the design idea was cracked, we had a lot of fun executing the other elements of the project. We certainly hope customers enjoy their experience at Sarjapur Social, as much as we enjoyed creating it.”