The newest nightspot in Santa Rosa has a long history.
This weekend, Vintage Space will officially open at the Flamingo Resort, a local landmark since it was built in 1957.
Under the ownership of San Francisco-based Palm House Hospitality and Stephen Yang and Rebecca Bunya of Yang Capital since 2019, the hotel has been systematically renovated.
The new look for the cocktail lounge and live performance space is the latest step.
“What we envision here is a special, focal place for bringing people together in a positive atmosphere,” said Palm House Hospitality co-owner Anderson Pugash, who has been reinventing the space with designer Brian Anderson for the past several months.
“The locals still love this place, and I love hearing their stories,” Pugash said. “We envisioned a space that pays homage to a building that has been here a long time and has a lot of history. It won’t feel totally unfamiliar to someone who has been here before.”
The 2,700-square-foot space marks its grand opening weekend Friday with live music by the Santa Rosa band Marshall House Project, followed Saturday by DJ NADI playing a mix of African, Latin and Caribbean music. There were low-key “soft opening” events at the venue last weekend.
Plans call for a live band every Friday and a DJ every Saturday. Upcoming acts include the San Francisco reggae and Latin music band the Bayonics on Aug. 26 and Northern California DJ Miguel Migs on Sept. 17.
For the long run, the owners plan a wide variety of music, both old and new, plus some extras. The space features a bar, lounge seating and a crescent-shaped dance floor.
“We’ll have Halloween and New Year’s parties and layer in some comedy shows,” Pugash said.
Aiming for a midpoint between casual and sophisticated, the decor at Vintage Space is both nostalgic and futuristic, based on the era of the “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union, triggered by the latter’s first successful satellite launch, Sputnik 1, on Oct. 4, 1957.
“It was a time of huge possibilities, when anything could happen. Everything here plays into that, from decor and staff to the language on the menu and the actual acts we’ll book,” Pugash said.
Pictures on the wall range from historic snapshots of the Flamingo to retro space-themed art. The menu of “cosmic cocktails” includes the Cosmonaut, Doctor Manhattan and the Black Hole Espresso Martini.
There will be a selection of local craft beers on tap and wine by the glass, as well as nonalcoholic drinks.
Palm House Hospitality, which created the popular San Francisco hangouts Palm House and The Dorian, was co-founded by Pugash and Benson Wang. Together they own and operate five businesses in the Bay Area, including Bergerac, Crossroads Nightlife and Fifty Fifty Cocktail Co.
People can follow Vintage Space on Instagram for upcoming events and updates at @vintagespacesr.
You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.
Dan Taylor
Arts & Entertainment, The Press Democrat
Do you take fun seriously? I know I do. Tell me what you want to know about arts and entertainment in the North Bay to make the best use of your leisure time and money. As a longtime local arts journalist, I have learned where to look and who to ask.
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