Photo courtesy of Consortium Holdings I think well be able to do something pretty special with it, Tafazoli predicts. But even while our industry hemorrhages and talks about rallying our elected representatives to step up and help us, we sort of know its not going to happen. Recognition slowly fanned out from local to national. In some ways, to be in the restaurant world right now is to sit back and watch everybody else get hit by the same truck that already blindsided you. I think we'll be able to do something pretty special with it. Arsalun Tafazoli began what is now Consortium Holdings hospitality company in 2007 with the opening of Neighborhood in San Diego's East Village. Wehoped that creating well-designed, timelessenvironments would help them evolve into community institutions. SAN DIEGO CA: September 12, 2017 | Born & Raised is now open in Little Italy. Today that groupConsortium Holdingsconsists of 600 employees spread across 16 bars and restaurants throughout San Diego county. Industry after industry is getting pummeled. Arsalun Tafazoli has reshaped San Diego's culinary scene with his edgy architectural designs and unconventional, unapologetic menus at more than a dozen eateries and bars. Arsalun Tafazoli, whose restaurant holdings include Born & Raised and Ironside, confirmed he is hoping to finalize purchase of the 131-room boutique hotel, which first opened on El Cajon. Nearly every item from the flooring to the staircase to the ceiling and everything in between was crafted by our team, so the coordination of the installation had to be precise, Basile said. For more information, visitlafayettehotelsd.com, and learn more about Consortium Holdings atconsortiumholdings.com. Whats your favorite San Diego County beach? There are few places in San Diego proper that have that history, and it would be a gift and an honor to push that narrative forward.". Not surprisingly, the tab will be high at meat-centric Born & Raised, with prices for dry-aged cuts of beef topping out at $87 for a 22-ounce bone-in New York steak. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The freshest news from the local food world, Local Restaurateur Arsalun Tafazoli on Beer, Best Neighborhoods &Borrowing, 777 G St San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 446-0002, Sign up for the "All of our projects are historically rooted and start with a story, usually one that isn't told yet in San Diego, but we feel like it should be.". Sign up for the We believe all cultural references are valid, not just high-brow ones. "People would call our city Blandiego. Looking back, it was a little much, vulgar and unnecessary, but thats what youth is forI think. That was in 2008. This is a pretty rare asset with a pretty special history, Tafazoli said. Cancel anytime. Consortium Holdings (also known as CH Projects) now has over a dozen concepts around San Diego, including cocktail-focused Polite Provisions, classy dive bar El Dorado, neighborhood bar & restaurant Craft & Commerce with adjacent tiki-speakeasy False Idol, two locations of its Japanese fusion restaurant Underbelly, modern barbershop Dover Honing Co., seafood-centric Ironside Fish & Oyster, bi-level steakhouse Born & Raised, Westfield UTC bottle shop and speakeasy Raised By Wolves, brunch-centered Morning Glory, Chinese restaurantFortunate Son, and industry-focused East Village sandwich shop and Negroni barJ & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehousewith neighboring coffee shopInvigatoriumin partnership with San Diego's Modern Times Beer. Along the way, he enlisted big names from food and beverage, including Chris Patinowho curates the spirits selection at Raised By Wolvesand Erick Castro who built out the bar programs. Dont look for literal explanations. In the meantime, hes been reflecting on the current and future state of the restaurants. Get the latest Hatch updates straight to your inbox. Here, in his own words, Tafazoli considers how the crisis could bring some positive changes to the industry. Basile says he and Tafazoli share an addiction to eBay, and the resulting odds and ends, like this totem pole and chair, are found throughout the building. Little Italys Craft & Commerce (which has a Tiki bar-themed speakeasy hidden in a back room, natch) could be described as an industrial literary cabin. Frustrated with the bad rap his hometown had amassed, he formed a hospitality group to weave soulful cuisine with elegant design into the local narrative. "There didnt used to be a deep, thoughtful culture in F&B here, but there is now. The whole project was about paying tribute to a culture we love and respect but are never really a part of, so we were on the outside looking in. . The genesis of Born & Raised was an expiring lease of longtime tenant Nelson Photo, ensconced for more than six decades in a neighborhood that increasingly had become a magnet for some of the citys most buzz-worthy restaurants and star chefs. San Diego, CA 92123 Crews uncovered and restored the conservatory rooms terrazzo floor, period bathroom tile work, and the concrete floor in the hotels cafe, modernized the rooms with flat-screen TVs and added a fully equipped workout room. Dressed with brass inlays, Italian marble and an abundance of rich walnut down to fanciful columns that resemble blossoming flowers the restaurants lower and upper levels will seat up to 250. Community means something different after youve spent weeks holed up essentially alone. Already named one of Esquire magazine's 'Best Bars in America', it was also nominated for a Spirited Award at this year's Tales of the Cocktail, an industry event held annually in New Orleans. As pleased as Tafazoli is with the enthusiastic reception, he remains anxious about the upscale restaurants staying power, especially in light of the unexpectedly huge investment in a building his company does not even own. View FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Arsalun Tafazoli in San Diego, CA - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Email & Phone Number | Personal Review | Income & Net Worth Now more than a year after its scheduled opening, Born & Raised, a glamorous, wood- and marble-embellished steakhouse in the heart of Little Italy, formally opens Wednesday. We dont ever want to sell it, its been in our family for all these generations. Tripadvisor picks two for top 10 in U.S. There is nothing warm and welcoming about it. 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We wanted to have a truly independent hotel that was a reflection of the community its in. Three years later, he partnered with another no-holds-barred, social-scene-busting restaurateur, Arsalun Tafazoli. With the purchase, expect Consortium Holdings to overhaul onsite food & beverage options, including rebranding Hope 46 restaurant and installing a new concept in the space that long housed Red Fox Steakhouse & Piano Bar, which is in the process of opening across the street in a new building. ", Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego State University, has kept a close eye on the success of Consortium Holdings. Arsalun Tafazoli '06. "They truly make their locations interesting. We want to make an emotional connection and force people to form an opinion. Eight of the companies are still active while the remaining four are now listed as inactive. The prolific San Diego restaurant group, CH Projects, is currently in escrow to purchase the Lafayette Hotel, a North Park landmark that in its heyday was a retreat for some of Hollywoods most famous movie stars. Yet for years its food and drink scene has been suggestive of a city that's second tier, rather than the second largest city in all of California. For line-level team members, we are always hiring dedicated, and detail-oriented crew. He had a vision for a cocktail program based on bitters, tonics, and sodathree classic elements of old pharmacies. Comments (0) That fire doesnt burn as hot anymore. But I am excited for the conversation, and inspired by the resilience and ingenuity Im seeing all around me, hardworking restaurant people doing what we do and finding what ways they can to push forward. Get U-T Business in your inbox on Mondays. Unexpected hurdles emerged at almost every turn, not the least of which were new airport flight safety rules that threatened to kill the entire project. His restaurants are wonderful and were very fortunate we picked him, said Cresci, whose Italian-born grandparents bought the India Street lot in the 1920s. Three years later, he partnered with another no-holds-barred, social-scene-busting restaurateur, Arsalun Tafazoli. We admire each others successes and aspire to do the same for ourselves. But retrofitting the building presented huge challenges.. So we try to design our spaces to encourage human interaction and good conversation. )it becomes painfully obvious that you cant create a united front overnight, no matter how many platitudes you spout about coming together. Born and Raised is a double entendre for that. Its too soon to say, but Tafazoli believes Born and Raised (which came with a hefty $6.5 million price tag) could evolve into an iconic spot where locals spend decades celebrating those big, life experience moments. For more information, visit lafayettehotelsd.com, and learn more about Consortium Holdings atconsortiumholdings.com. So the duo set out to fill what they saw as a cultural void, focusing on restaurants and bars. Its less about making astatement and more about enjoying the process. So while we look forward and think about life after COVID-19, those of us in the restaurant industry need to think about what kind of world we want ours to be. The Lafayette Hotel,Swim Club & Bungalows is located at 223 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego's North Park. The Red Fox owners, though, are close to completing construction across the street of a new incarnation of the restaurant and pub, complete with its well-known piano bar. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The freshest news from the local food world, CH Projects Arsalun Tafazoli on Restaurant Life After COVID-19, Sign up for the Tell us why we should hire you. That kind of tension doesnt encourage real collaboration, or even true connection. Thats kind of how we feel about our projects. If youre a fine dining establishment and you give consumers a compelling reason to visit your concept and they feel its worth it they will come. Because the original rooftop was used as a parking lot for 10 or so cars, we thought the second-story expansion would be a relatively easy build. I think when we were younger, we had more of a chip on our shoulder with more toprove, and we wanted to rock the proverbial design boat. Co-Founder, Consortium Holdings Nathan 'Nate' Stanton started bartending in 2007 when he and his twin brothers and a close friend opened El Dorado in the East Village. There is no word yet on what is planned for that space. newsletter, Sweet and Savory Japanese Sando Shop Tiptoes Is Open in Mira Mesa, Kumo is soft opening over the next couple weekends, The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego, March 2023, The latest lineup includes a new food hall, modern izakaya, and more, Sign up for the As of this summer, the 16 bar and restaurant concepts in his Consortium Holdings empire are once again delivering the immersive experiences he passionately obsesses over. What he couldnt have foreseen was a budget that eventually ballooned to $6.5 million, forcing Tafazoli to sell one of his companys downtown restaurant and bar venues. 858-277-6359 (Local), San Diego Business Journal | Website by Web Publisher PRO, San Diegos Most Influential Business Leaders, List of San Diego 500 Icons Grows This Year, Julie Given-Glance Joining Endeavor Bancorp as CFO, Scripps Health CEO Retires as Reserve Sheriff, Surf Instructor Making and Catching Waves in North County, Making A Community Strong and Resourceful, Palomar Health Named a Worlds Best Hospital. Thousands of warm hubs have sprouted across Britain as high energy bills fuel a cost-of-living crisis, The No. Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, pages, jpg. People, Personalities Arsalun Tafazoli leads restaurant group Consortium Holdings into the post-pandemic era As of this summer, the 16 bar and restaurant concepts in eclectic Restaurateur nonpareil Arsalun Tafazoli Consortium Holdings empire are once again delivering the "immersive experiences" he passionately obsesses over One of the hardest blows dealt by COVID was the realization that suspending operations affected 600 employees whose wellbeing is contingent on this thing weve been building for 13 years.. We made a Faustian deal a long time ago to be part of this world. As we move forward, which we will, that has to change. The biggest structural challenge was converting the original single story to a two- story. travels to Asia to strengthen business ties, How major US stock indexes fared Friday 3/3/2023, VMware, Broadcom rise; Marvell, Bumble fall. Tafazoli said he understands the risks but at the same time has also seen his more upscale venues thrive, which give him a measure of confidence. But we gave you more. The pandemic was shocking and jarring especially shutting down 95 percent of our operations, says Tafazoli, a UC San Diego alum who lives in downtowns East Village. In the 1950s, hotelier and San Diego Charger owner Conrad Hilton purchased the hotel and eventually demolished and relocated several of the propertys apartment buildings, according to the hotel website. Arsalun also took over ownership of Bar Pink in North Park last year and plans to convert the space to become a new cocktail bar dubbed Part Time Lover. ", That vision materialized in the form of Polite Provisions, inspired by an article in The New Yorker about a Bronx-born writer whose parents ran a drug-store pharmacy in the 1950s. The Lafayette Hotel has been owned by developer Jay Wentz of JCG Development since he purchased it in 2004 for $11 million. Were all trying to figure it out. Beefing up and expanding the culinary offerings is something that Tafazolis company is presumably well-positioned to tackle should CH acquire the property. We constantly have people wanting to buy it, said Cresci, whose sister owns the property with two other family members. You can pick up any credible publication and the talk is about who is going to get bailed out and with how much and when. Background Report for Arsalun Tafazoli As much as he enjoyed Muir College and his political science and philosophy studies, equally interesting to him were the social dynamics he saw play out every night while he worked security in local bars. Add to that the challenge of transforming an old photo supply store with rooftop parking into a two-level, 10,000-square-foot restaurant, and its no surprise the bills kept mounting. 2023 Consortium Holdings All Rights Reserved. Have you worked at any of our spots in the past? He moonlights as a beer and. Thats more than three times the maximum capacity the San Diego Regional Airport Authority had at one time dictated for the redeveloped space. Also part of the redo were some environmentally sustainable features, among them fuel cells that were added to convert natural gas into electricity and heat the pool, originally designed by Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller and used by Florence Chadwick before she swam the English Channel in 1951. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What we do in each place is organic, Tafazoli says. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Arsalun Tafazoli Email Address Found 3 email address listings: @consortiumholdings.con @consortiumholdings.com @gmail.com Arsalun Tafazoli Phone Number Found 3 phone numbers: 858-405-XXXX 619-269-XXXX 619-955-XXXX View Arsalun's Email & Phone (It's Free) 5 free lookups per month. consortiumholdings.com, The organization continues to innovate to further its hunger relief mission, Founder Nicole Gleeson of Rancho Santa Fe promotes wellness, sustainability and functional health through hydration, Janean Stripe succeeds Suzanne Newman as president, who stepped down after a four-year term but continues to serve as first vice president, The philanthropic Rancho Santa Fe couple shares the process of creating their modern masterpiece, Your email address will not be published. Most of us that work in restaurants love the energy and the dysfunction and the challenge even while we know its eating us alive. The hotel, which for decades was known for its old-school steakhouse the now-closed Red Fox Room is currently short on dining and drinking venues. Exposed filament bulbs and reclaimed wood paneling. Nathan Nate Stanton started bartending in 2007 when he and his twin brothers and a close friend opened El Dorado in the East Village. Last update: May 20, 2022 profile Stats Market value Transfers Rumours News By the time CH Projects won the City Council OK, the tally for the delay and costs associated with the fight reached $200,000, Tafazoli said. And were not necessarily trying to get more people into our tent. ,, . There wasnt much of a dining and social culture in SD, or Bland Diego, as we used to pretentiously joke about it. But that doesnt change the fact that every one of us sees every other restaurant as a competitor. And true to its much anticipated debut, reservations are already booked through the end of September. Whats your favorite San Diego County beach? Tafazoli has also partnered up with local brewery Modern Times to form the Invigatorium, the group's first coffee house. Weve been pushing back ever since.. Get ready for your week with the weeks top business stories from San Diego and California, in your inbox Monday mornings. Views: 10041 According to the county Assessor/Recorders office, the propertys current assessed value is $10.3 million, although that does not necessarily reflect the market value. The DNA of the design is staying the same and its going to feel very familiar to the original. The prospective sale, first reported Tuesday by SanDiegoVille.com was confirmed by CH co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli, whose company would be making its first foray into hotel ownership should the purchase be successful. We believe environment dictates behavior, and design dictates environment. View Arsalun Tafazoli's record in San Diego, CA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Arsalun Tafazoli has been associated with twelve companies, according to public records. in the process of opening across the street in a new building, J & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse, The Reading Club and adjacent Italian-inspired Seneca restaurant, purchased the shopping plaza at 3401 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, took over ownership of Bar Pink in North Park. That annoyed us. It has just one eatery Hope 46 that is open for al fresco dining. If we are given the opportunity to take stewardship of this special place, it would be a dream come true., Lafayette Hotel owner and developer Jay Wentz of JCG Development said Wednesday that he cannot comment on the sale other than to confirm that I am in the process of selling it.. Thirty years later, his widowed grandmother developed the building that would house the photo supply store. He said he expects that transformation could take about 1 1/2 years to execute. 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When we welcome new people into CH Projects, we teach them about restaurant profit margins. 66 bus rattles just like a regular diesel bus on Chicagos west side, but no one seems to notice the high-pitched whine of the electric motor that makes it go, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. #11 Arsalan Tafazoli Malavan Persian Gulf Pro League League level: First Tier Joined: Jul 1, 2019 Contract expires: Jun 30, 2023 Date of birth/Age: May 30, 1998 (24) Place of birth: Rasht, Gilan Citizenship: Iran Height: 1,75 m Position: Attacking Midfield 125 Th. Next up: CH Projects is designing a Roman trattoria and private members club. There is no word yet on the exact changes planned for The Lafayette, but we anticipate Tafazoli to implement design upgrades in the near future while respecting the name and history of the . We wanted to create spaces that became a part of the fabric of thecommunities they were in, and create long-term relationships with our guests. With its upcoming projects halted, co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli says theyre focused on supporting their internal crew of 600 employees; all online sales of merchandise and gift cards are going towards a team fund, and Ironside in Little Italy has been set up as a staff grocery. Not the Arsalun Tafazoli you were looking for? The one thing we asked of Arsalun was that dedication plaque for my mother and father go back on the building. A post shared by Jason McLeod (@ironsidechef). Third-generation family owners of the site soon were fielding inquiries from restaurateurs for a spot that could command significantly higher rent, said Dino Cresci, who oversees the property owned by three members of his family. (Kristian Carreon/For The San Diego Union-Tribune), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. That compares to a 1 percent decline for all restaurants. Its a battle for market share, and the only way to grow your business is building brand royalty and repeat business, said NPD restaurant analyst Bonnie Riggs. Arsalun Tafazoli, Founder and CEO of Consortium Holdings Zack Benson Brad Japhe Brad Japhe is a freelance journalist specializing in food, beverage, and travel. Either love us or hate us, but dont beindifferent. There are stories we want to tell. Send us your office space mariet@sandiegomagazine.com, Tags: Consortium Holdings, Office Space, Offices. ', When we started we loved San Diego, but we wanted a better social dining culture," recalls Tafazoli. But we're also mall kids that were raised on this sh*tno shame. Life is hard. Theyve not been closing as many units compared to other major metro areas so that speaks to demand.. We all have issues. View the profiles of professionals named "Tafazoli" on LinkedIn. There are 300+ professionals named "Tafazoli", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. newsletter, all online sales of merchandise and gift card, How Coronavirus Is Affecting San Diegos Food World, Local Hospitality Group Hosting Free Vaccination Pop-Up, 28 San Diego Restaurants Offering Grocery and Pantry Staples, Convoys Common Theory Pairing Up With Korean Barbecue in Chula Vista, Santa Barbaras Most Famous Ice Cream Shop Is Expanding to San Diego, A Cozy Japanese Tea House and Cafe Is Coming to Adams Avenue, Barbecue and Cocktails Join Forces in the East Village, Famed Seattle Bakery Piroshky Piroshky Is Popping Up in San Diego. On a good day, were in crisis mode. But its heartbreaking that not every restaurant or bar is going to get to the other side. We may also place cookies on our and our partners' behalf to help us deliver more targeted ads and asses the performance of these campaigns. Which of our free e-newsletters would you like to receive? Hundreds of classic novels are stacked in bookcases. We also love some good old fashioned constructive criticism. Something went wrong. Not everyone is a fan of Tafazolis down-the-rabbit-hole dcor style. We are a different kind of news site with no desire to conform to antiquated ideas of how many believe journalism should be. The best food on the planet shared with an asshole is a shitty meal, and shitty food with a great companion is still a good experience. In addition to the dramatic design details, CH Projects hopes to wow guests with tableside preparations, from Caesar salad and Shrimp Louie to Steak Diane, and a roaming dessert cart that will allow diners to choose from among a rotating selection of confections. But we gave you more. Biotech Briefing: UCSD Researchers Find Potential Therapeutic Path for ALS Biotech Briefing: Eight Biopharma Trends for 2020, Biotech Briefing: Illumina Spin-out Verogen Buys GEDmatch. Exterior of Polite Provisions in the North Park, Arsalun Tafazoli, Founder and CEO of Consortium. Modern Times beers are on tap, along with specialty craft cocktails, on the bar side. Your email address will not be published. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. When you come to our spaces for an hour and a half, though, what we can help you do is forget about your problems for a while.. Not everything has to be about going against the grain; we just want to do good projects that are filling a cultural void in a city we love. Add another $500,000 to the rapidly rising tab. There will also be a "wellness component" added to the property. The inside of the main dining room at Born & Raised in Little Italy. We have no voice in Washington where it would matter most right now, as local and state governments get overwhelmed by competing demands. 2019 Hatch | Produced by San Diego Magazine, Photography by A-C Photography & Robert Benson. You cant force what we do., Also in the hospitality arena, Consortium Holdings recently purchased the historic Lafayette Hotel in North Park for$25.8 million. On every level, we encountered the worst-case scenario, said Tafazoli, co-founder of CH Projects, which operates nearly a dozen venues, including Ironside Fish & Oyster, and Craft & Commerce, also in Little Italy. Q. If theres a known truth about the restaurant world, its that its a hard business. It tells their story of Little Italy.. Youre not alone if youre looking at the full name of J & Tonys and asking, What the? Its part coffee-driven caf, called Invigatorium, serving breakfast and lunch. Had I known everything I know now Im not sure I would have done this. While upscale restaurants like Tafazolis account for just 1 percent of restaurant industry traffic, the fine dining segment has been a standout in recent years, posting decent growth compared to the industry as a whole. Eclectic Restaurateur nonpareil Arsalun Tafazoli is back in business. Required fields are marked *. Except for economic reasons, it doesnt make any sense for us to ever expand outside of San Diego County. Hes had offers in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but lays it on the line by resolutely saying, If you see us outside of San Diego County, youll know weve sold out. The San Diego 500, The Book of Influential Business Leaders, is the markets most comprehensive product of people you should know in the business community. The 500 is selected by the San Diego Business Journal newsroom. The restaurant will cost over $3 million, according to Tafazoli. Consortium Holdings founder Arsalun Tafazoli is currently in the escrow stage of purchasing North Park's 131-room, grand colonial-style The Lafayette Hotel. With the purchase, expect Consortium Holdings with the guidance of corporate chef & partner Jason McLeod to overhaul onsite food & beverage options, including rebranding Hope 46 restaurant and installing a new concept in the space that long housed Red Fox Steakhouse & Piano Bar, which isin the process of opening across the street in a new building.