David Sarner

David Sarner (born March 28, 1969) is one of New York City’s top nightclub owners. Over the duration of his career, Sarner has designed, operated and owned numerous industry-defining nightclubs, restaurants, and lounges in New York City, Southampton, Miami Beach, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some facilities he is best known for are Pink Elephant, Chaos, Spy Bar, Cabana and Rehab. Successful forays into communications and real estate allowed Sarner to establish himself as one of Manhattan's most successful and Dynamic entrepreneurs.

Background

David Sarner began his career as a 17-year-old doorman at the legendary Studio 54. He went on to promote and host parties at many of New York's most memorable nightclubs (i.e., Roxy, Limelight, Surf Club, Area, Private Eyes, and El Morocco). Sarner is acknowledged as being the first nightclub owner in the United States to offer bottle service by way of his SoHo venue Spy Bar in 1995 and the first making it mandatory at his Manhattan lounge Chaos, at 23 Watts Street, near West Broadway, which opened in October 1996. David saw bottle service as a swift remedy to overcrowded bars and waitresses struggling to make their way through. As he explained in an interview:

The Launch of the Lounge Era

In July of 1995, GQ stated "Studio 54 reigned supreme as New York's King of Clubs. Spy Deserves that Mantel today. And the ex-doorman of that infamous disco hang-out, David Sarner, is now a partner. But today the strobe lights and disco balls are passe. Spy looks more like a lavish living room. The huge club boasts chandeliers, renaissance paintings and Victorian tables. Most of the crowd lounge on Velvet sofas and armchairs or tuck into the menus beluga caviar, fois gras or oysters. Be wary if you stray on to the dance floor - you might miss a glimpse of Spy's many supermodel patrons, including Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen and Naomi Campbell"

"With 30-foot ceilings and towering stage curtains, Spy epitomizes the big-budget bar as theater trend. Rich violet spotlights caress the parlor sofas and ornate rugs; above are two imposing Bohemian crystal Chandeliers. hanging from sleek black arena-scale lighting trusses. Framed antique portraits complete the Miss Haversham-at-Limelight look. " Travel and Leisure magazine, April 1996

A model and celebrity rich environment, Spy Bar stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Downtown scene in the 90's, with a myriad of bold faced names on a nightly basis, from Denzel Washington, Nicolas Cage, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Will Smith, Courtney Love and Harrison Ford. The ecclectic lounge played host to numerous fashion and entertainment industry events and premiers and rejuvenated a quiet Soho into a nightlife mecca.

Operational character at Chaos

The three-story Chaos club, a mix between an old-world salon and a medieval castle, with blue velvet drapes and Victorian-style couches, rode high on the reputations of its owners, Michael Ault (b. 1965), David Sarner and Tony Theodore. All three are longtime cultivators of what Mr. Ault called "the double-A fashion model crowd" and the rich older men, often Europeans, who chase them. John Travolta, Madonna, Robert De Niro, Prince, Sting, Bono and Richard Gere were all regulars. Sarner was known to harshly dress down Chaos's door crew for admitting the unhip. Chaos's owners were a bit anxious about not getting as glamorous a crowd as they would like. In part, this is because they were competing with their own success at the nearby Spy bar, which Mr. Sarner and Mr. Ault helped build into an undeniably hot scene before launching Chaos. Sarner outlined what criteria to use to admit people. They maintained a strict hierarchy of the beautiful and stylish. Aspiring to be a haven for attractive women, Chaos strongly discouraged "predatory" men without dates, who might "spook" the beauties. "Two guys together, they're not going to get in unless they're club personalities," he said. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E7DA1738F931A25752C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all I Was a Dilettane Doorman] "New York Times’’ January 12, 1997]

Late 1990s

Later that same year, Sarner, Michael Ault and five other promoters pooled their resources, including mailing lists and deejays, to produce what eventually became Manhattan's biggest party, appropriately named "Big", on Friday nights. The parties were held at The Roxy NYC (515 West 18th Street) and drew an average attendance of about 3,500 hard-drinking, high-stepping people in their twenties. Commenting on their dominance, Mr. Ault explained things relatively simply during an interview at a downtown restaurant, "We're a cartel. On Fridays, we own Manhattan." [Gordon Sander [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02EFDE1639F932A15754C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Who Owns the Night? Promoters] "New York Times" July 21, 1996]

In 1998, Ault and Sarner bought four acres in Sagapanock, New York for about $1 million to build an entertainment complex. [Schoeneman [http://www.observer.com/node/42941 Hamptons 2000: Here Come the Kids!] "New York Observer", May 15, 2000] In the meantime, Ault and Sarner sold their Chaos club in Miami for seven figures on February 20, 2000 from Charlotte, North Carolina-based Arc Corp., which owned Miami's Level as well as clubs in other cities. (Arc was eyeing an IPO.) Following the sale the trio focused efforts on the Chaos branch in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and seeking space in the Hamptons, particularly the Cabana nightclub in Southampton, Suffolk County. However, Sarner didn't leave Miami empty-handed, and returned to New York with Trinidadian beauty Rene Dominique with plans to make her his wife. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/2000/02/20/2000-02-20_santana_tells_of_childhood_a.html Miami Branch of Chaos Sells] , "New York Daily News", February 20, 2000]

Rehab and Vela restaurant

On October 30, 2002, it was reported that Prince Albert of Monaco, Miguel Forbes and Stephan de Kwiatkowski (son of Henryk de Kwiatkowski) were among those ogling the leather-clad waitresses at a pre-opening party for Rehab, the new Lafayette Street venue owned by Sarner and Gil Traub of Pangaea.

In February of 2003, Hip Guide stated "It's genius for David Sarner to walk into a diner and see a club. Which is exactly what the Chaos and Spy Bar veteran did. Whetther it's the Palm Trees, the cute crowd, the tight door, the awesome music or the other bar owners who parade by in deference to David we don't know. But Rehab Rocks. In fact, its so good, we lost the meaning of Betty Ford as we were sitting on top of the banquettes at the house table. As the song goes, #$%^, rock and roll, booty call and disco ball. p.s. its all about the bottle service with the who's who. "

April 19, 2004 witnessed the unveiling of Vela, a 150-seat Japanese restaurant-lounge at 55 West 21st Street, featuring the cuisine of renowned chef Yasuhiro Inoue, who had recently relocated from Matsuri. Vela goes for a South American vibe and was the brainchild of Sarner, Mike Diamond (Dorsia and Pangea), and Tannaz Bagherzadeh, a Persian socialite who had previously modeled in Brazil.

Pink Elephant

On August 31, 2004, it was revealed that club Guru Sarner and a coalition of leading nightlife impresarios were cooperating to open a new high-end nightclub in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District called Pink Elephant (PE). The venue was named after a prohibition-era figure of speech that refers to a state of being so incredibly drunk that you hallucinate rosy pachyderms. [ [http://pinkelephantclub.com/press/large/070106.jpgPink Elephant Review] "Chin Magazine" July 1, 2006] By March 7, 2005, an article in the "Nation’s Restaurant News" reported that one of Sarner’s newest concepts, his "Spirit Tree", was currently being served at PE, offering customers a chance to become their own bartender for the night. The article further described PE as containing a mixture of some of the edgiest elements of the 20th century: the nefarious secrecy of the 1920s' New York speakeasy, the seductive sexuality of cabarets in 1930s' pre-war Berlin, and the glamour and decadence of 1940s Hollywood.

The "Spirit Tree" is a module holding miniature bottles of liqueurs that is brought to the table along with a bottle of liquor or champagne, and each tree is customized for the type of spirit ordered. Sarner’s inspiration for the "Spirit Tree" came from the oil and vinegar cruets typical in Parisian Bistros. He felt it would be nice to have an assortment of alcoholic condiments to play with at the table. Also, the club occasionally features guest bartenders, such as Bruce Willis, and PE also attracted a wide range of celebrities. However, instead of offering an interactive dinner-theater event, PE offers an evening of interactive bartending. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_10_39/ai_n13251216 Pink Elephant lifts patrons' spirits with interactive bartending 'tree'] ]

In March 7, 2005, an article in the "Beverage Authority" quoted Sarner as saying "Most clubs have VIP Rooms. What we have here is a VIP Room without the rest of the club. It's sort of a clubhouse atmosphere here. Again, fun is the key element to its exceptional popularity"

Relocation

PE's success necessitated expansion from its earlier constantly packed manifestation below 14th Street to a larger and more luxurious space on West Chelsea's 27th Street, having opened March 2006. Now located underneath Crobar in Chelsea, Sarner said of the club: ["NCB Magazine", May 2006] quote|It really is a marriage of form and function because it understands the demographic of the customer base, who they are and what they want. And, it incorporates that into the design and operations.

Pink Elephant features

Pink Elephant's designed canal entryway - was one of the most challenging aspects of the new space. "We built Pink Elephant in 52 days," Sarner says. "We went from a complete gut renovation, with Bobcats ripping out everything. Robert (Montwaid) does all of our construction and demolition, and the only place that was a slight factor was the tunnel that we dug."

The small sunken dance floor at the center of the 400-capacity cavity is the lungs. The curved ceiling beams are the ribs, and the multiple winding pathways are the capillaries through which orgiastic house music and Ibiza-worshipping Europeans flow. But the magic is in the techno details. The sound system, designed by NASA engineer Steven Dash, sends maximum wattage to the dance floor and less to the tiered levels of the amphitheater layout, making the pods of leather banquettes and couches that ring the dance floor conversation-friendly. The intention was to make the PE a cozy lounge with all the appeal of a huge club.

"New club smell"

PE also introduced a high-tech "scent machine," which can supposedly fill the room with up to 30,000 different smells, from fresh cut grass (used in the hedge-lined entryway) to citrus to pheromones. "We will be shooting various scents through the course of the night to enhance the ambiance and trigger a mixture of sensual and aphrodisiac responses," said Pink Elephant Poobah David Sarner. Ladies beware: Sarner also said the machine, which shoots scents up to convert|60|ft|m, will release libido-boosting pheromones into the air. All these features did not come cheap, and table costs at PE range from $1,500 to $3,000 for a table.

"Disco Balls and Scents"

On March 26, 2006, the New York Times quoted him as saying - "There are definitely moments when the exuberance and the energy remind me of Studio 54" Mr Sarner said. He Should Know. Before he owned Spy Bar, Rehab and Chaos, he was a teenage doorman at that famed ground zero of decadence. "and it makes me smile" The New York Times quoted him as saying ] . "There are definitely moments when the exuberance and the energy remind me of Studio 54" Mr Sarner said. He Should Know. Before he owned Spy Bar, Rehab and Chaos, he was a teenage doorman at that famed ground zero of decadence. "and it makes me smile".

"Celebrities Galore"

By Mid 2006, Pink Elephant had become the darling of the Fashion, Music and Entertainment sets hosting such bold faced ICONS in FASHION as Giorgio Armani,Mark Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger,Zac Posen, In MUSIC - Diddy, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Prince In ENTERTAINMENT - Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Heidi Klum, Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson,Kate Hudson, Owen Wilson, and in SPORTS - Michael Jordon, Derek Jeter, Dan Marino, polo legend Nacho Figueras, Known as a venue where celebs can let their hair down and relax without being bothered, Pink Elephant hosts a nightly array of luminaries on the down low.

Expansion

By May 11, 2006, a major buzz was developing concerning the new Pink Elephant Southampton, scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. PE was descending on the Capri Hotel, taking over the former Cabana with a convert|2000|sqft|m2|sing=on indoor lounge steps away from a convert|6000|sqft|m2|sing=on beach. Sarner and friends brought in 250,000 pounds of sand to create a faux beach, with Chinese lanterns, outdoor copper firepits, and seven VIP pagoda-style cabanas. [UrbanDaddy, May 11, 2006]

Further, on March 17, 2007, it was revealed that Sarner planned to open another Pink Elephant nightclub the coming summer in Chicago, Illinois, which had recently legalized bottle service. On May 26, 2007, reports surfaced that after sinking $200,000 into a summer party house in the Hamptons, PE's owners - who planned to collaborte with party photographer Patrick McMullan and "W Hotels" - were told by their landlord that large parties would not be allowed. Although Memorial Day weekend events were planned, Sarner managed to find another location. PE is also hosting promotional parties at international events, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. [ [http://pinkelephantclub.com/press/large/050806.jpgPink Elephant Stampede] "Crain's New York Business" May 8, 2006]

Venue locations

*Prive – 32 East 80th Street
*Gauguin in the Plaza Hotel – Central Park South and Fifth Avenue
*Spy Bar - 101 Greene Street, SoHo
*Chaos – 23 Watts Street
*Chaos – 56 Rua Alexio Garcia
*Chaos (South Beach) – 734 Washington Ave. South Beach
*Chaos – 215 East Houston Street
*Cabana – 281 County Road 39A, Southampton
*Rehab - 380 Lafayette Street (Great Jones Street).
*Vela - 55 West 21st Street
*Pink Elephant - 527 West 27th Street
*Pink Elephant Southampton - 281 County Rd 39A (on Route 27 and North Main Street)
*Pink Elephant Chicago - 660 N. Orleans - Coming soon
* Pink elephant Los Angeles- Coming soon
*South Beach - Coming soon
*Punte Del Este, Uraguay - Coming soon
*Sao Paulo, Brazil - Coming soon
*Dubai, UAE - Coming soon

ee also

*Chris Paciello
*Stephen Lewis
*Bungalow 8

Notes

References

* [http://www.pinkelephantclub.com/home.html Pink Elephant Website]
* [http://www.nightclub.com/NCB_Magazine/NCB_May_2006/Larger_than_Life/ Larger than Life] "Nightclub & Bar Magazine", May 2006
* [http://www.nightclub.com/NCB_Magazine/NCB_January_2007/For_Love_&_Money/ For Love & Money] "Nightclub & Bar Magazine", January 2007
* [http://www.nightclub.com/NCB_Magazine/NCB_October_2007/The_Most_Premium_Profit/ The Most Premium Profit] "Nightclub & Bar Magazine", October 2007
*Corina Zappia [http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0505,zappia2,60613,15.html Liquid City: Mixing Up Bottle Service] "Village Voice", January 28, 2005
*Rebecca Milzoff [http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/22834/ Taking the Fifth] "New York Magazine", October 16, 2006
*Trip Gabriel [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E7DA1738F931A25752C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all I Was a Dilettane Doorman] "The New York Times", January 12, 1997
*Gordon Sander [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02EFDE1639F932A15754C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Who Owns the Night? Promoters] "The New York Times", July 21, 1996
* [http://www.egothemag.com/archives/2007/01/pink_elephant_1.htm Pink Elephant] "EGO Magazine", January 2007
*Gary Regan [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_10_39/ai_n13251216 Pink Elephant lifts patrons' spirits with interactive bartending 'tree'] "Nation's Restaurant News", March 7, 2005
* [http://www.urbandaddy.com/nyc/210/Pink_Elephant_Southampton_Cabana_Capri_Hotel_(Nightclub_Lounge_Southampton_New_York) Pink Elephant Southhampton] UrbanDaddy, May 11, 2006
*Brett Sokol [http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-02-10/news/kulchur/2 Kulchuer: Mob Ties] "Miami New Times", February 10, 2000
*Deborah Schoeneman [http://www.observer.com/node/42941 Hamptons 2000: Here Come the Kids!] "New York Observer", May 15, 2000
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/1998/11/09/1998-11-09_monica__babs_ready_to_blab.html He deals in Chaos] "New York Daily News", November 9, 1998