August 12, 2019
The founder of San Diego's hippest hospitality group, Consortium Holdings (Born & Raised, Morning Glory), is the subject of a feature story published today by popular American business magazine
Forbes.
"With a population of nearly 1.5 million, San Diego is one of the biggest urban areas in the country," begins the Forbes article written by Brad Japhe entitled
Meet The Man Lifting San Diego Onto The Global Food And Drink Stage. "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. Overshadowed by the culinary prowess of the Bay Area and Los Angeles, it seemed complacent in its role as a beach town, where high-end meant fish tacos and hoppy pale ales - not that there's anything wrong with that. But Arsalun Tafazoli had different plans."
Known to embrace the aphorism "a rising tide lifts all boats", Arsalun Tafazoli started Consortium Holdings with the opening of Neighborhood in downtown San Diego in 2007. Also known as CH Projects, the local hospitality firm now has more than a dozen bars and restaurants scattered 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, a pair of Italian meatball-fueled Soda & Swine locations, modern barbershop Dover Honing Co., seafood-centric Ironside Fish & Oyster, bi-level steakhouse Born & Raised, cocktail supply store and speakeasy Raised By Wolves, and brunch-focused Morning Glory. The company is known for building successful concepts with its only known hiccups being Rare Form and Fairweather, which Consortium Holding's
sold in 2017, and the short-lived
Juice Saves in the East Village. Consortium was also
recently sued by a California animal rights group over serving banned foie gras at Born & Raised.
Last month, Consortium Holdings unveiled a contemporary coffee house concept operated in partnership with Modern Times Beer dubbed the
Invigatorium. Soon to open next door to Invigatorium at 631 9th Avenue is
J & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse, an industry-focused sandwich shop and Negroni-focused bar from Consoritum Holdings Corporate Chef Jason McCloud and beverage director Anthony Schmidt. The company is also expected to open a much-delayed new location of
Soda & Swine in the longtime Porter's Pub space on the University of California San Diego Campus by this fall and then will set its eyes on The Reading Club - a swank
rooftop sky bar & restaurant planned to install atop Intercontinental San Diego Hotel. We've also received word that Arsalun Tafazoli has purchased the shopping plaza at 3401 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, which sits across the street from Blind Lady AleHouse and approximately a half mile from CH's Polite Provisions. Rumors are swirling that this property will be used to construct an urban brewery, but nothing has been confirmed.
