15 Minutes with Matt Bongiovi

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 10:59

From the spotlight to the nightlife, Matt Bongiovi teams up with Connecticut’s powerhouse, Post Road Entertainment, to lunch the next generation of ultra lounge, 84 PARK. Being in the entertainment business for over a decade and working for some of the industry’s giants like House of Blues and Clear Channel, and with the award-winning Elements Steakhouse & Lounge in his home state of New Jersey, Matt Bongiovi takes a leap of faith in Stamford. 203 had the privilege to sit down with Bongiovi to find out about the spot that has Connecticut buzzing.

203: Why Stamford?
Bongiovi: Being from Jersey I didn’t know much about Connecticut, but I came in with an open mind, and the friendliness in Stamford really intrigued me. Once I got to know the Post Road guys and saw their organization, I knew it would be worth the merge. I don’t know if I am jaded being from Jersey, but everyone seems really nice and I knew this would be the perfect spot.

203: With Elements, you and your business partner, Vicenzo Rizzo, were inspired by the principles of feng shui for the architectural design and décor. Was there a similar inspiration for 84?

Bongiovi: Completely different. I think I’ve grown from where we started 6 years ago. With that concept, in particular, was something that was very fresh and new, and you kind of have to move with the time and trends. For me the thing that is important is the comfort level and that idea has been something festering in my mind every since I opened Elements, what was my next thing to be? Well, now we know.

203: Tell us a about the drink menu. Is there a house drink or specialty?
Bongiovi: The drink menu is a mixture of classic cocktails, as well as our specialty, martinis. One of the things that we do is we don’t use anything rather than fresh purees. An apple martini will be a true puree of apples. The menu will be changing seasonally by our in-house mixologist.

203: What kind of atmosphere/vibe are you hoping 84 PARK will create?
Bongiovi: A Miami scene in Stamford. What we are doing here is raising the bar. The clientele that we look for is more of the young professional, the trendsetters, the hipsters, but not necessarily the place where the college student is coming to play beer pong. What we strive for is truly bringing service back into the industry. What we are doing is creating an ultra lounge, in a sense of what an ultra lounge was meant to be. The term unfortunately is use too freely, and truly I would say that 90% of what’s out there calling themselves an ultra lounge are night clubs. 84 PARK is going to bring back the idea of what an ultra lounge is suppose to be, a boutique ultra lounge.

203: You’ve been in the entertainment business for over 10 years and along the way you have built many relationships with famous artists and musicians, can we expect special guest appearances at 84?
Bongiovi: Absolutely. We want to make 84 a safe haven, where the celebrity can come and be normal. I can relate to an artist and know what their needs are. My staff had to sign a confidentiality agreement. They will be definitely coming, who, what, and when is to be determined, but you can definitely expect Jon to be here.

203: Is 84 PARK everything that you hoped to be?
Bongiovi: I look at 84 and is has honestly bypassed my own expectations. I really want people to be able to have an experience that they are not coming to spend money and leave. I want the overall experience to be there. What we do with bottle service here, you are paying for an experience. The service is going to be impeccable whether, you are a CEO or the guy working construction, you will both be treated like rockstars.

84 PARK is located at 84 West Park Place, Stamford. 203-973-0300

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 September 2009 11:46 )