Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game: More With Matt Levine

Hey, remember Matt Levine? The designer-turned-nightlife impresario upset the blogosphere a few months back when he revealed his plans for The Eldridge, an uber-chic, ultra exclusive hot spot in the Lower East Side. Well, we ran an interview with Matt over the summer, and now that The Eldridge has been open–and generating some real publicity, with praise from Us Weekly and People Mag, and not just snarky items on the blogs–for a while, we decided to check in with Matt and ask how his “bottle service ruined NYC” mantra is working out for him. As always, he was happy to oblige.

Now that The Eldridge has been open for over a month, how is it going?

Everything has been going amazing. Between my staff and I, our shared vision and concept to bring back old NYC and fuse the best aspects of nightlife has surpassed all our expectations.

It’s no secret that in the barrage of Eldridge-related press, a lot of haters came out of the woodwork, launching tirades not only against your club but against you. Why do you think so many people seemed to take issue with the concept of The Eldridge and with you personally?

I believe it all started from an interview I did with New York Magazine. While it’s a great and reputable magazine, I believe the rush to post my particular interview left a lot of text misquoted and many comments published out of context. Unfortunately it was misconstrued, and the readers clearly responded. I have, however, had extremely positive reviews and experiences from all guests that have been a part of The Eldridge. And at the end of the day, that’s what speaks to me: People who have actually been to the establishment and interacted with me and my staff. Our success has completely exceeded my expectations and that completely surpasses any issues that may have been brought up prior to our opening. We live in a day and age where blogs and anyone with a computer has a voice–whether their opinions are truthful or completely false, they still have a voice. People are scared of the unknown and intimidated by creativity. Even if those people have never gotten into The Eldridge, never had one of our signature cocktails, never experienced our service and never met me, they can speak as though they had. I respect every opinion, blogger, commenter and “hater”–I respect anyone that takes initiative–but in all honesty, the only thing that matters is 11pm to 4am each night, and the experience of my guests, which has been amazing and positive.

Part of the early criticism revolved around the fact that some people didn’t approve of the idea of a super exclusive club setting up shop in an otherwise low-key neighborhood. Now that you’re open, how do you think the neighbors would describe The Eldridge? Are the locals welcome inside, or are they subject to the same stringent door policy as everyone else?

As I’ve said in other interviews, the LES is full of culture and character, and we aren’t trying to recreate the LES, just building off its history. The neighbors have been very receptive to our concept at The Eldridge. Our door policy is standard across the board.

What ever came of the whole laser engraved admission cards thing? Was that true or just a rumor? What about the Escalade chauffeurs to take drinkers home?

Both the laser engraved entry cards and the Escalade chauffeurs are true. Although the cards are not mandatory for entry, they do help ensure a fast entrance past our door staff. Anyone looking to make a reservation can email reservations@theeldridge.com.

You didn’t have any prior experience operating a club; what are some things that have surprised you thus far?

I think because of my lack of operational experience, the result was a creative approach to handling operations in a unique manner, rather than the standard procedures others follow. I also have a great general manager, Jason Lawrence, who handles all of the day to day operations. My number one priority is my guests, and what has surprised me is that I’ve learned from them that most other venues don’t go out of their way for customer service, and that the little things go a long way. As I’ve said so many times, it is a business of people not a business of money, and so many club owners don’t recognize that. It isn’t about how many drinks and bottles you sell, it’s about the atmosphere and environment you create for your guests and their comfort, and that is reflected in the fact that we have so many guests who come back over and over again.

Any truth to the rumor that ran in Page Six recently week about Prince sending his lackeys in to scope out the joint before he would deign to visit himself?

We respect the privacy of all our guests. That said, sometimes other guests and press find out which celebrities attend The Eldridge, but our main goal is the privacy of our guests, so I will leave all sightings as just that–sightings.

In an interview with Eater, you said: “The whole concept and vision of The Eldridge is to create an escape from the suit and tie bottle service driven scene that has taken over NYC nightlife. One of my waitresses; asked me, “Matt, what if I have big spending clients, are they allowed in?” My response was “Would you go to the movies with them? If not, no.” So, do you or don’t you have bottle service (even if it’s not mandatory)? If it’s not for suits and ties, who is it for? In short, what is the criteria for admission? Do you have to know someone, or just exude a certain anti-Wall Street vibe (without actually being broke and poorly dressed)?

We have created the perfect atmosphere of diverse guests–hipster-meets-Vogue, in a sense. The key to the perfect environment is the diversity of backgrounds, professions and lifestyles of our guests. Bottle service has ruined what made NYC nightlife so special in the past. We have table service, we do sell bottles, but it is no way mandatory for entry. As part of that table service, if you want to order bottles, signature cocktails by our mixologist, Charlotte Voisey, some of our international beers, or even grab a Motley Bird Energy Drink, that’s your choice. But bottle minimums, table minimums, guarantees for entry are not part of The Eldridge concept. You cannot buy your way in, so leave your credit card in your wallet at the door. Just because you can buy bottles for admission everywhere else, that won’t get you into The Eldridge. When other venues let in “clients,” we open our ropes for “guests.” Criteria for admission is making a reservation ahead of time, contacting me or my staff, and treating the door staff in a respectful manner, because at the end of the day, it is our doorman, Naeem Delbridge, who has the final say.

Are you serving food?

Our hospitality consultants have delivery and takeout menus from a variety of local restaurants in the LES and East Village. Price points vary depending on the restaurant. There is no extra charge, it’s just a courtesy we extend to our guests.

What kinds of goods or services does your in-house hospitality consultant provide? Is there a fee to take advantage of that, or is it a service available to all guests just in virtue of being there?

Our in-house hospitality consultant is part of our staff. There is no extra fee to use her services. Basically, her job is to make sure everyone is having a good time, and if there is anything that any of our guests require, she handles it. Her job is like that of an in-house concierge. She often buys guests round of Patron shots or buys back a round of drinks, and just brings a level of customer service that is non-existent at other venues. She interacts with our guests.

What, in your view, are the top five best new bars in NYC (by “new,” I mean opened in the last year or so)?

I can’t even name 5 within the last year, but my favorite places to go are:
1Oak
La Esquina
Norwood
Rose Bar
The Eldridge

Initially, you mentioned plans to showcase a variety of different musical lineups each week. Is that still happening? What is the weekly lineup?

Sunday: DJ MOS, DJ G Brown, DJ Prince Peter with saxophonosit
Monday: DJ Any Demby. Movie Night.
Tuesday: DJ Peter Paul (with special guest) with trumpet player
Thursdays: DJ Mel DeBarge with saxophonist
Fridays: DJ Jesse Marco with saxophonist
Saturdays: DJ Twighlite Tone with special guest DJs and saxophonist

Along with the instruments above, we mix in flute players and drummers, as well as various guest DJs nightly.

-Justine Goodman