Internationally acclaimed exotic cocktail bar, UnderTow, is moving. Located since its opening in August of 2016 beneath Sip Coffee and Beer Garage, UnderTow will be moving next door into the building occupied by Barter & Shake’s Century Grand, and its two concepts, Platform 18 and The Grey Hen Rx.
Like many bars and restaurants in the Phoenix area, UnderTow was closed from mid-March through late September due to COVID mandates. This hiatus allowed the management team to pause and plan for the future.
UnderTow has a strong following, and we always wanted to have a little more space to accommodate additional guests and larger parties, all without compromising the intimate guest experience.
– Rich Furnari, Barter & Shake co-owner and Director of Operations
With UnderTow’s lease ending in 2020, and our difficult decision to permanently close the restaurant element of Century Grand, there was a prime opportunity to re-locate UnderTow into a larger space in the same geographic neighborhood.
In addition, the more flexible physical infrastructure in the new location will allow us to continue to offer our guests the most advanced and enjoyable immersive environment for years to come.
UnderTow’s final day in its Sip location was December 23, 2020. Construction is actively underway, but UnderTow’s new home likely won’t be ready until early March 2021.
In the interim, co-owners Rich Furnari and Jason Asher have been seeking to bridge the gap for UnderTow’s guests and staff by offering a pop-up version of UnderTow.
We have been working diligently with The Hotel Valley Ho’s Food & Beverage Director, Andre Nicholson, and his team, to coordinate an UnderTow pop-up until our new location is ready to open.
– Rich Furnari, Barter & Shake co-owner and Director of Operations
One of our top priorities is to allow our staff to keep working. It’s been a hard year of income uncertainty for many people, especially hospitality professionals, and the management team at Hotel Valley Ho understands that and shares the same perspective that we do.
They have been terrific to work with as we jointly plan what we expect will be a nostalgic and memorable experience.
UnderTow’s pop-up theme will be “Best of Menus Past,” highlighting their top-selling (and mostly retired) signature cocktails.
Photo Credit Grace Stufkosky
Other additions include a pu pu platter created by Hotel Valley Ho’s Executive Chef, Russell LaCasce, potential local Phoenix chef pop-ups showcasing various local chefs, décor from local tropical/tiki artists, and the potential for a Sunday market with on-site live carvings.
The pop-up is scheduled to operate for eight weeks, Thursday through Sunday, with a few blackout days. Located inside the Sands venue at Hotel Valley Ho, this location served until July 2011 as Trader Vic’s, a popular Polynesian-themed restaurant. The pop-up plans to launch Thursday, January 14, and conclude in early March.
Since opening in 2016, UnderTow has earned numerous 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 prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards “New American Cocktail Bar” category, and a top 10 ranking of global tiki bars by https://critiki.com.
Co-owner, Jason Asher, has also won numerous awards individually, including GQ’s “Most Inspired Bartender,” Food Network Chopped Champion, and Foodist Awards “Top Mixologist.”
For reservations, please visit: undertowphx.com
The “Best Of” Pop-up Cocktail Menu: https://undertowphx.com/best-of-menus-past/
About UnderTow
UnderTow is an exotic cocktail bar from the team at Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality. Opening in August 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona, UnderTow offers tropical yet innovative cocktail experience.
The environment whisks guests away on a worldly journey in the belly of a spice trader’s turn-of-the-century clipper ship. Through various commissioned artists, UnderTow’s signature décor revolves around each chapter of its fictional story, which follows the adventures of the revered Captain Mallory.
This fully immersive world-class cocktail experience features rare rums from around the world and offers a variety of handcrafted, signature merchandise available for retail.
For more information, visit https://undertowphx.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
