At the heart of San Diego's East Village sits the Coliseum Federal Athletic Club, home to San Diego’s landmark 1920s boxing venue, which will be brought back to life by its newest anchor tenant, Punch Bowl Social - a self described “eatertainment” venue that combines classic games and entertainment (think pinball, skeeball, shuffleboard, vintage video games, bowling, ping pong, etc.), a southern-influenced scratch kitchen and superbly crafted beverages together under one roof.
“When we opened our first Punch Bowl Social in Denver in a former brick warehouse, in a then-unpopular part of town, we realized what a positive impact we could have on the community around us and also in preserving and giving new life to the building itself,” says Robert Thompson, founder and CEO of Punch Bowl Social. “When we saw the Coliseum, we just knew that was the place. The opportunity to open a Punch Bowl Social within Makers Quarter in downtown San Diego, and especially in the historic Coliseum, couldn’t be a more perfect fit for us.”
Punch Bowl Social will build out the former Coliseum space and transform it to a 150-seat bar & eatery that will include karaoke rooms, arcade games, ping pong tables, eight bowling alleys, dart boards, a bocce ball court and more. There is also word that a "celebrity chef "will run the kitchen and reinvigorate the brand's menu to include Souther California influence.
In its heyday, the Coliseum Federal Athletic Club was one of three major boxing marquees in Southern California. The club opened in 1924 when California first legalized the professional sport, and it flourished in the 1920s and 1930s - hosting an illustrious list of boxing talent. The Coliseum withstood the Great Depression and even survived a fire in 1938, but under the weight of staggering debt, the club shut its doors in August 1974. The property was eventually acquired by The Navarra Family, who used the building for their family-owned Jerome’s Furniture warehouse and other subsequent miscellaneous uses, helping to ensure the ultimate preservation of the building over time. Though little remains of the original Coliseum, its rich history coupled with the building’s unique physical features, including its towering barreled wooden roof, should serve as an unparalleled backdrop to its new, reenergized life under Punch Bowl Social’s stewardship.Punch Bowl Social will build out the former Coliseum space and transform it to a 150-seat bar & eatery that will include karaoke rooms, arcade games, ping pong tables, eight bowling alleys, dart boards, a bocce ball court and more. There is also word that a "celebrity chef "will run the kitchen and reinvigorate the brand's menu to include Souther California influence.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Punch Bowl Social is an award-winning hospitality group that has garnered critical acclaim nationwide with venues in six locations including Portland, OR; Austin, TX and Detroit, MI with new locations opening in Brooklyn, NY and Sacramento, CA among others. The Coliseum offers Punch Bowl Social an ideal opportunity to revitalize one of San Diego’s historically iconic gathering spaces and builds on the company’s overarching commitment to sustainable development through adaptive reuse. In addition to receiving dozens of awards since opening the first Punch Bowl Social in 2012, Punch Bowl Social was named one of Nation’s Restaurant News’ “Top Ten Breakout Brands” in 2015.
Punch Bowl Social will be a 20,000 square foot venue located at 1485 E Street within the Makers Quarter in San Diego's East Village and is expected to open just in time for summer 2017. For more information, visit punchbowlsocial.com.
