A new concept called smOAKed Kitchen and Cocktails hopes to eventually debut in Tempe, with ownership recently launching a campaign to raise capital for a brick-and-mortar at 15 W Baseline Rd.
smOAKed Kitchen and Cocktails is the brainchild of Alex Phillips, Brandon Casey, and Chef Gidi Goldberg, who, together, possess over 60 years of hospitality and food and beverage industry experience. The new concept is one part speakeasy, one part taproom, one part cocktail bar, and one part sandwich shop. Customers can expect 20 taps, including house brews from Chef Gidi’s Combine Brewing, and a food program with an ever-changing boutique-style menu of sandwiches and entrees.
“We’re coming together to build our dream space where delicious food, incredible drinks, and good times come together,” according to the campaign. “To bring our exciting vision for smOAKed Kitchen and Cocktails to life, we need to raise some additional capital to get to the finish line. We’re reaching out to you, our community members, to help us bring this vision to life. Every contribution gets you 120% back in credits to spend at our pop-ups and at smOAKed itself once construction is complete. Your support will help us through the construction phase, including plumbing, electrical work, and purchasing and installing a walk-in cooler.”
While the campaign is still in its early stages, thus far raising a little under $3,000, the owners are hopeful this will be a great way to get the community involved while getting the ball rolling a little quicker. Once they raise $30,000, they plan to purchase and install a walk-in cooler for the space. Those interested in contributing to the campaign will receive six monthly portions that never expire. For example, anyone who donates $500 will receive $600 in credits to spend at smOAKed Kitchen and Cocktails, sent in 6 monthly portions of $100.
“Choosing this venture together felt like everything aligning perfectly,” according to the campaign. “Being able to create this dream with such talented partners is an amazing feeling. We’re excited to bring something unique to the Phoenix valley. While there are many speakeasy-style bars, none have our three-phase focus on craft beer, high-end cocktails, and high-end smOAKed sandwiches. So many of you have told us how excited you are, and we hear ya’! We’re excited too, but have a few more things to do before we can finally open our doors.”
