As a restaurant idea, The Hampton Social faucets into a number of key shopper tendencies, from coastal delicacies, and the relaxed life-style to Instagram-ready design components and all issues rosé. The model was impressed by the tony Jap Lengthy Island cities that well-heeled New Yorkers flock to in the summertime, although the primary location opened eight years in the past in Chicago.
The timing was lucky by way of the rosé revival within the U.S.: In 2014 it was extensively reported that the Hamptons had been working out of rosé because the wealthy and well-known downed copious quantities of the pink drink. It in all probability didn’t damage that rock star Jon Bon Jovi was a part of a French rosé wine model initially known as Diving Into Hampton Water that launched in 2018, and additional related the Hamptons with rosé.
In actual fact, Hampton Water is among the hottest rosés at The Hampton Social, says Gregory Harmless, company beverage director for dad or mum firm Parker Hospitality. Whispering Angel is one other visitor favourite rosé model.
How vital is rosé to The Hampton Social? Harmless says that 65% of the model’s wine gross sales come from rosé. All eight places, which inventory 28 completely different rosés, boast a wall of roses and a “Rosé All Day” signal that persistently pops up on company’ Instagram feeds.
The Hampton Social even celebrates Nationwide Rosé Month in June with a Rosé Hotline to reply shopper questions concerning the wine. Harmless, who solutions the cellphone reside each Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7p.m. in June, shares his ideas and methods for getting and ingesting rosé. This would be the third yr of the rosé hotline, Harmless says. “It’s been a really efficient activation.”
Social ingesting
Regardless of the rosé focus, most of The Hampton Social’s alcohol gross sales (78%) comes from liquor and cocktails; 20% comes from wine and a pair of% from beer. However rosé makes its method into a number of cocktails, such because the house-made Frosé, with Tito’s vodka, rosé wine and peach purée, Harmless says. At press time it was launching a inexperienced Frosé to have fun St. Patrick’s Day.
Commercial
One other well-liked cocktail is the I Glitterally Can’t, with strawberry gin, glowing rosé, Passoã ardour fruit liqueur, lemon and glitter balls. Each drinks are priced at $16.
Different specialty drinks embrace the Honey Cove ($16), with tea-infused bourbon, Giffard apricot liqueur, lemon and honey, and the Gardner’s Bay Breeze ($17) with citrus-infused Sneaky Fox vodka, Aperol, spiced strawberry and lemon. The cocktails are additionally obtainable in large-format scalloped seashell vessels, which serve as much as three company and are priced from $42 to $51.
In step with present tendencies and visitor preferences, The Hampton Social gives zero-proof drinks, akin to a nonalcoholic glowing rosé ($8), with notes of peach, strawberry and pear, and the Sand Dunes & Sunsets ($10), with yuzu, lime, cayenne and gold flakes. Specialty brunch drinks embrace the Route 27 Mule, with vodka, salted banana, lime and ginger beer, priced at $15 a glass and $42 a seashell.
Shareable seafood delights
The beverage menu adjustments twice a yr, Harmless says. The specialty cocktails are the identical in any respect places, however the beer and wine are completely different per market; well-liked brews embrace IPAs, amber ales and wheat beer.
“Nashville is the one location that encompasses a heavy allotted whiskey checklist,” says Harmless. It additionally has probably the most allocations of the coveted Pappy Van Winkle bourbon within the Nashville market.
As for the meals, seafood naturally is essential: Small plates “to share and socialize” embrace grilled octopus, crab and shrimp bruschetta and oysters St. Charles. Giant plates embrace balsamic-glazed skirt steak ($39), scallop risotto ($35) and roasted rooster ($27).
Among the many well-liked objects are the lobster roll, smash burger and shrimp tacos, says Harmless, who joined the corporate in 2016.
The glowing seafood tower, with oysters, shrimp cocktail, snow crab claws, tartare, ceviche — which comes with a half bottle of glowing rosé — can also be a success with company, he says.
A shore factor
Chicago-based Parker Hospitality operates the Hampton Social, in addition to reside music lounge The Bassment and Mediterranean idea Nisos. The corporate introduced final fall it was opening Costera, a restaurant that goals to deliver the flavors and vitality of Mexico’s Tulum to Chicago.
Proprietor Brad Parker opened the primary Hampton Social restaurant in 2015 with the concept of making a way of life model geared to girls. Relatively than a Tiki-style tropical island escape, Hampton Social captures a extra New England-style aesthetic: gentle, ethereal areas with coastal backyard prospers that evoke a seaside trip vibe, and supply loads of social media picture ops.
Along with two eating places in Chicago, Hampton Social now has places in Burr Ridge, IL; Skokie, IL; South Barrington, IL; Nashville; Naples, FL; and Orlando, FL. It plans to open a unit in Delray Seaside, FL, in March, and one in Miami this summer time. A Denver outpost can also be scheduled for later in 2023 and one in Atlanta for 2024.
The corporate’s formidable plans for the Hampton Social model had been quickly thwarted by the pandemic. “Leases that had been signed on constructions for all these tasks had been on maintain, and nothing was in a position to transfer ahead for some time,” Harmless says. The Covid-related provide chain points didn’t assist issues.
However Parker Hospitality, which expects to usher in $117 million in income this yr, is again in development mode. Brad Parker has stated that he desires 60 or 70 Hampton Socials throughout the U.S. That’s nonetheless a aim for the corporate, Harmless says.
The place will the following places be? “We’re contemplating all areas,” Harmless says. “[Brad Parker] is presently centered on Dallas and Denver.
