Eldridge Employees To Open Cupcake Lounge

If you were looking for the absolute final nail in the cupcake coffin, the search ends here. Jason Lawrence and Cole Bernard have been helping run the universally loved Eldridge since its opening last year. Now comes word that this dynamic duo have two new projects in the works, including another very small but not so exclusive Lower East Side lounge called Red Velvet, which will feature a special alcohol laced cupcake that can be paired with a daily drink special. If that's not enough dessert madness, the tables will be designed to look like tiny cake stands, finally launching the design of cocktail tables into the 21st century.

While Eldridge maestro Matt Levine is not involved with the project, Lawrence and Bernard seem to have picked up his interview skills. Case in point: Red Velvet's sticky door policy, which Lawrence says will be less pretentious than the Eldridge, explaining:

I want it to be more inviting to locals. If there are couples in the area that read about Red Velvet and want to check it out and come down for a cupcake, they’re not going to get stress at the door. I want to share the space and the experience with as many people as we can. The space will dictate. There will be times when it will be a little more difficult to get in because my capacity is 120, and I can’t let everyone in. That being said, I want a lot of people to have the Red Velvet experience.

The duo will also be transforming the forgettable Porky's into the Yard, a sports bar that is prepping for a Halloween opening. Both projects should make everyone forget that the Jane Hotel was ever an option.

· Sweet Red Velvet [BB]
· Industry Insiders: Cole Bernard & Jason Lawrence [BB]
· The Eldridge Coverage [~ENY~]
· Cupcake Coverage [~ENY~]

Red Velvet

174 Rivington Street, New York, NY