First garden bar ever to open in downtown Fort Myers

Richter Hospitality Concepts and Kearns Restaurant Group in partnership with Chef Jamie DeRosa today announce the opening of the Downtown Social House in the River District of Fort Myers. Set to open Wednesday, June 14th at 4pm in the historic blacksmith shop at the corner of Hendry Street & Bay Street, the Downtown Social House (or SoHo for short) is the first new bar to open in Downtown since 2012 and features craft cocktails, social & shareable food items and a large outdoor garden with seating for up to 100 guests.

The #SoHoCulture brand philosophy is built on bridging the gap between social networking and old-fashioned face-to-face engagement, thus encompassing the best of today’s social media trends in a socially engaging atmosphere for the Fort Myers community to call home. Downtown SoHo is the perfect place to talk the night away with a friendly stranger, or a place to try new flavors with old friends.

Kearns Restaurant Group and Richter Hospitality Concepts are also behind other notable & successful Downtown ventures, including The Firestone, Los Cabos Cantina, Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza, The Lodge and their most recent addition Izzy’s Fish & Oyster (also with co–owner & Chef Jamie DeRosa). Over the last 5 years they have led the redevelopment of the Downtown River District into a well-known and popular destination for innovative food and beverage / dining venues.

DeRosa’s background includes mentorships from culinary majors Wolfgang Puck, Norman Van Aken and Food Network’s Geoffrey Zakarian. At SoHo, DeRosa takes this vast experience to create a unique and street-food inspired menu of sharable and small bites from local sources, and uses seasonally inspired ingredients with fun and approachable combinations of flavor.

#StreetFood: Imagination meets delicious with the latest trending. Hand crafted, from the SOHO Snack Pack ($5), to Chicken Chicharrónes *($6), or Smoked Brisket Poutine with Aged Whiskey Cheddar ($9), to homemade #LocallySourced empanadas, or Steamed Buns with Pork Belly, Pickled Cucumbers ($8), or simply–delicious Heirloom Tomatoes with Burrata Cheese and Basil ($9). Downtown SoHo, touches on uniquely prepared salty and sweet snacks. Don’t forget to share the, House-made Oatmeal Cream Pie ($4) and which is great to eat on the go or to share with a new friend!

#SocialCocktails: Using the finest ingredients and fresh squeezed juices, SoHo’s Handmade Craft Cocktails were perfectly blended by Miami based master mixologist, Jaime Russo. Guests will enjoy a harmony of flavors in every SoHo Craft Cocktail, ranging from unique signatures like Party with Peaches – Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Lemon and Sage, to Kickback and Soho – Tequila, Pineapple, Lime, Spicy Tomato, or classic favorites like Social Pisco Sour – Pisco, Key Lime Juice, Chili and Egg White or the What a Moscow Mule – Vodka, Ginger Beer, Lemongrass and Lime.
#LocalCraftBeer: Bringing local back. Downtown SoHo believes it’s essential to support other local businesses and is proud to offer the best #LocallySourced Craft Beer SWFL has to offer including Gateway Gold, Blonde Ale from Fort Myers Brewing ($7), High Five, IPA from Fort Myers Brewery ($7), or Six Feet Under, Stout from Bury Me Brewery ($7) and other Floridian favorites. Of course you will also find your all-American favorites on tap and a selection of Garden Bar themed bottle beer.

#WinesOnTap: To ensure perfect quality in every wine poured Downtown SoHo is offering a first for this market: Eight (8) selections like Satellite Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2014 ($8 by the glass) or the Rainstorm, Pinot Noir, 2014 from Oregon ($9 by the glass). Don’t forget to ask about our Manson, Soleya Rosé from France ($9 by the glass). These wines are individually temperature controlled and always fresh, no matter the ambient temperature. Other essential wine selections will be available by the glass or by the bottle like Eberle, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014, California ($12 by the glass), or the St. Francis Chardonnay, Sonoma, 2014 ($11)

#TheOriginalBar: To honor the history of their building, Downtown SoHo features a historic Florida heart pine bar top that was built from old Downtown building timbers. The original loading doors, actually Ford Model T truck loading height, were rebuilt and open right to Hendry Street to keep a neighborly feel. To accent these historic elements, we crafted a retro speaker to tie in the history & culture of media.
As an homage to Fort Myers, local artists Terry Tincher and Mike Kiniry created a 15’x12’ft American flag mosaic art installation, composed of photos of historic Fort Myers provided to us by the IMAG History and Science Center of Fort Myers.
#EcoFriendly: Downtown SoHo is environmentally responsible and supports minimizing our carbon imprint by using #EcoFriendly paper & plating goods that are recycled, compostable and/or biodegradable. From unique palm leave plates to pine wood utensils, every detail has been thought of and carefully selected to support a more ecologically sound environment. Additionally, energy usage is reduced by nearly exclusive use of LED lighting - not to mention that these color controlled LEDs look pretty cool too.

SoHo is located at 1406 Hendry St. and is open from ‘4 pm to close’ daily. A Craft Happy Hour will run daily from 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. – Fri. and daily specials as well as seasonal menu changes will keep the offering fresh and unique to all new and regular patrons.

Conric PR & Marketing
6216 Whiskey Creek Dr B, Fort Myers, FL 33919
239-690-9840
Josh Milton

This release was published on openPR.