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Industry Bar Hell’s KitchenBy TIM MURPHYPublished: January 19, 2011

HAS the dark, industrial vibe of Berlin come to the bright-eyed “Glee”-loving playground of Hell’s Kitchen? That’s the sense you get from Industry Bar, a 4,000-square-foot gay hangout that opened in early December and aims to translate the raw, stripped-down allure of Berghain, the legendary Berlin megaclub, into a smaller, Gaga-friendly package.

On a recent Tuesday night, cheery professional-looking men with gelled hair and square-toed shoes got sassy and dirty-danced with their straight-from-the-office gal pals. A D.J. played happy dance tracks, like Madonna’s “Give It to Me” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” The décor seemed trendier than the crowd: old theater lights hung over the bar, with cozy nooks of leather couches, Oriental rugs and midcentury modern chairs, where lots of squealing and snuggling occurred.

THE PLACE The bar is on the first floor of a Bauhaus-style office building on West 52nd Street, across from another gay bar, Therapy. Inside, there’s a rococo billiards table in the front, corrugated glass partitions that carve up the space, 1970s-era black globe lamps and a bar made of reclaimed wood. In the rear is a stage for occasional drag acts. The owners, Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton, also run Barracuda, a gay bar in Chelsea.

THE CROWD If you’re looking for a bohemian downtown crowd, go elsewhere. The vast majority of men (and it was almost all men) looked as if they worked in respectable fields like marketing and public relations, with their button-down shirts, designer sweaters and neatly trimmed heads of hair. Ranging in age from 20s to 40s, they clutched vodka-sodas and chatted excitedly about the latest episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

PLAYLIST Relentless gay-pop. Madonna, Beyoncé and Rihanna are on heavy rotation, along with extended remixes of Lady Gaga and more Madonna.

GETTING IN There is no door policy, judging by the large numbers of who appeared to be non-Manhattanites and tourists on a recent visit. Getting out may be harder. The front of the bar can be jammed with vodka-fueled revelers.

DRINKS No special potions. Well drinks are $7 to $9, tap beers like Blue Moon are $6 and the two-for-one happy hour is 4 to 9 p.m. daily. The drinks are served by bartenders with amply exposed muscles.

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Barracuda is the Chelsea institution that I always enjoy revisiting. Though this neighborhood watering hole opened in 1996, it remains the gayborhood’s go-to haunt. In an effort to keep it that way, the owners of Barracuda opened their pocketbook and cranked it up a notch with a zesty make-over this month.

The spirit of Barracuda remains the same: local, friendly, down to earth in a sexy way. Any night is the right night to hop a cab to 22nd and 8th. There’s never a cover, house DJs Jon Jon Battles and Scott Jones will put you in the mood to leave your work at the office and kick back with your happy hour 2-for-1s as you eye the cute guy mouthing along to the latest Robyn remix.

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New York City’s Barracuda gets groovy upgrade

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Thursdays are the best night to get into the groove. Check out Barracuda’s legendary Star Search. The longest running bar show in New York is jam packed with hot men, barrels of laughter, and bottomless cocktails. Pull on your new F*@ck me boots and get down with in the groovy new interior.

For a larger bite of the Big Apple, check out our New York Guide

Photo Credit: Project Publicity and Barracuda

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11.01.2010

The Industrial RevolutionAs Hell’s Kitchen increasingly usurps Chelsea’s position as New York’s premiere “gayborhood”—with cocktail lounges and fabulous brunch spots sprouting all over the area—it was only a matter of time before Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton brought their upscale brand of laid-back nightlife uptown. The founders of such Chelsea favorites as Barracuda and Elmo, the pair are poised to open their latest venture, Industry Bar, on West 52nd street this month.

“I think we’ve been successful at Elmo and Barracuda because we’re very good at creating a fun, relaxed vibe,” Heighton explains.

Housed in a former parking garage, Industry Bar will retain a sexy, appropriately industrial feel, a vibe Heighton describes as “machine age masculine.” The venue’s aesthetic is directly inspired by trips to Berlin and Barcelona as well as the spot’s past life as a parking garage.

“We definitely want the fans of our other establishments to get the first glimpse,” says Pontarelli. “Everyone who signs up on our website will get special invitations and privileges.”

Special privileges? We like the sound of that!

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Ethan SaysPop Culture - bent!

Daniel Radcliffe in Support of Gay Youth

Daniel Radcliffe may be the next to come out in support of gay youth. After the official premier party for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Radcliffe headed downtown to NYC's popular gay hotspot ELMO Restaurant owned by nightlife pioneers Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton (Barracuda and Industry-bar) where he joined up with Rose Hemingway, his co-star in the upcoming Broadway production of How To Succeed in Business With Really Trying, James Lecesne (next page), co-founder of the Trevor Project (and organization that supports gay teens) and Susan Blackwell, director of the It Gets Better video.

Page 1 of 4Ethan Says: Daniel Radcliffe in Support of Gay Youth

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Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton

Men at Work: New Bar ’Industry’ Opens in Hell’s Kitchen by Steve WeinsteinEDGE Editor-In-ChiefWednesday Nov 3, 2010

You very well might not have heard of Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton. But chances are good that you’ve eaten their food and imbibed their cocktails. The two are responsible for the old East Village hangout Crowbar, as well as Barracuda and Elmo in Chelsea. Now, like so much of New York’s gay population, they are implanting themselves a few blocks north, in the exploding gayborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, where they will open Industry, a bar located in an old parking garage on the block of West 52nd Street that is also home to Therapy and Bamboo 52. Calling the original space "raw and sexy," Pontarelli notes that it was the size of the space that attracted him and his partner, calling it "a challenge too good to pass up." The feel of the place will remain -- hence the name, with elements from the Industrial Age. He hopes it will give it the "cool factor" found in clubs in industrial neighborhoods of Berlin -- as well as a masculine vibe. The two bring two decades of experience in the city’s gay nightlife. Crowbar made a name for itself with nights like Crisco Disco and 1984. Barracuda thrived (and thrives) despite being off an avenue. The two ventured into the wider nightlife world with Leshko’s, a Ukranian East Village diner that they renovated and that helped significantly up the hip quotient on the lettered avenues. Elmo (you can see it on The A List!) is, of course, a Chelsea landmark. This mammoth restaurant attracts a gay and straight clientele. The downstairs space has been utilized for several small dance parties. Given the craziness of construction in New York City, a definite opening date would probably be too risky. But the two men are looking at Nov. 19 for a soft opening, to be followed by a grand opening Dec. 2. For more information, go to the bar’s website or Facebook page.

EDGE Editor-in-Chief Steve Weinstein has been a regular correspondent for the International Herald Tribune, the Advocate, the Village Voice and Out. He has been covering the AIDS crisis since the early ’80s, when he began his career. He is the author of "The Q Guide to Fire Island" (Alyson, 2007).

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« Watch: Rand Paul and Jack Conway Debate, in 164 Seconds | Main | Cub Scouts: Gay Dad Can be 'Popcorn Fundraiser' But Not Leader »

10/18/2010

INDUSTRY BAR TO OPEN THIS FALL IN NYC HELL'S KITCHEN

I know that many of you fellow New Yorkers will be happy to hear that there is a new watering hole opening, this one coming from my friend Bob Pontarelli, who is a veteran producer of gay nightlife in Manhattan.

Industry, a new bar from Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton, the duo behind Crowbar, Barracuda, Leshko's Restaurant and Elmo Restaurant, will be opening in the coming weeks.

The bar, which is opening on 52nd street between 8th and 9th avenue, is built on the site of a former parking garage.

Says Heighton: "The size of the space was instantly appealing. It was an opportunity and a challenge too good to pass up. We've kept the natural feel of the space which is very masculine and has a lot of elements from the machine age. There is an inherent cool factor in the space that you would find in the clubs of Berlin or Barcelona."

For those of you who are interested, they've also sent along the bar's floor plan, AFTER THE JUMP...

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10/28/2010 03:15 PM

Industry Bar to Open in NYC’s Hells Kitchen Fall 2010

New York, NY – Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton, two of the most influential and successful entrepreneurs in New York’s gay nightlife, have announced plans for a new bar to open fall 2010 in New York Hell's Kitchen. Industry Bar follows the duo’s impressive string of legendary downtown landmarks including Crowbar, Barracuda Lounge, Leshko's Restaurant and Elmo Restaurant and Lounge. Located at 355 West 52nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, Industry will be Mr. Pontarelli and Mr. Heighton’s first business above 23rd Street and their most ambitious project to date.

“We're very excited to open Industry in Hell's Kitchen." said Bob Pontarelli. “The building was a parking garage so the space was raw and very sexy. It has been incredibly fun to work with. We've drawn on some of the best parts of everything we ever done and then added a twist. It has all led up to this."

"The size of the space was instantly appealing," continued Stephen Heighton. "It was an opportunity and a challenge too good to pass up. We've kept the natural feel of the space which is very masculine

Page 1 of 3Owners of Elmo Restaurant and Barracuda Lounge Announce Their Newest NYC Project; Industry Bar to Open in NYC’s Hells Kitchen Fall 2010 - JustCircuit.com - JustCircuit.com :: Circuit Party and Gay Event Di...

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and has a lot of elements from the machine age. There is an inherent cool factor in the space that you would find in the clubs of Berlin or Barcelona."

Pontarelli and Heighton have founded and operated several groundbreaking landmarks in their twenty year partnership.

In 1991, their first business, Crowbar, set a new standard for gay bars by being the first to create different parties every night, including Crisco Disco and 1984. At the time, the concept of a bar hosting nightly parties did not exist. Crowbar offered a vibrant and creative atmosphere, becoming the epicenter of New York's drag and flourishing DJ/music scene. Some of the cities’ most innovative drag queens - including Candis Cayne, Hedda Lettuce, and Lina - began theirs careers at Crowbar.

When opening Barracuda in 1996, the pair faced the challenge of attracting patrons in the most competitive neighborhood in the city. Media warned “this fish better have teeth” and it did. With its downtown and edgy sensibility, Barracuda proved unique to the burgeoning neighborhood and remains an iconic city destination today. In fact, Barracuda has been voted "Best Bar" by area media more times than any other establishment in the city.

Pontarelli and Heighton’s first restaurant Leshko's, reinvented a landmark diner that had been popular with Allen Ginsberg and his beat generation. Their award winning design and American menu helped reinvigorate a then beleaguered Avenue A, attracted a new generation of stars like Bjork, Colin Farrell and Meryl Streep.

In 2002, they introduced Elmo, widely regarded as the anchor of the new Chelsea and the "clubhouse" for the gay community. Chic and contemporary with potent cocktails, great food and a party atmosphere, Elmo has dazzled celebrities from Al Pacino and Janet Jackson to Ellen Degeneres.

Additionally, Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton have established themselves as leaders in philanthropic activities, using their various venues to contribute back to their community. Recently, Mr. Heighton curated the ACRIA art auction, raising more than $1,000,000 for AIDS research. Last year, Bob was awarded the Special Humanitarian award from the New York State Senate for his various contributions.

Industry Bar is the most eagerly anticipated New York City opening of the fall season.

Page 2 of 3Owners of Elmo Restaurant and Barracuda Lounge Announce Their Newest NYC Project; Industry Bar to Open in NYC’s Hells Kitchen Fall 2010 - JustCircuit.com - JustCircuit.com :: Circuit Party and Gay Event Di...

4/28/2011http://justcircuit.com/Forums/tabid/57/afv/topic/aff/3/aft/2709/Default.aspx