Goodfellas Distillery, the New York-style pizzeria-slash-Prohibition Era-vibe cocktail lounge launched at year’s end, isn’t just keeping up appearances.
Housed in a stunningly renovated space in a former distillery building on the James E. Pepper campus, it’s the latest marquee attraction for the bustling east side Distillery District and a crowning achievement (for now, at least) for founders Alex Coats and Eric Boggs.
With 4,200 square feet on the main floor, 1,000 on the mezzanine and a patio with 2,000 square feet, Goodfellas Distillery is the culmination of nine months of breakneck work, with Boggs and Coats taking a lead on designing the concept with local architect Rebecca Burnworth. The result is a striking environment: soaring ceilings, abundant natural light, new concrete and metalwork, and a showcase reuse of an interior smokestack as a chill-out room, chandlier housing and stairway guide. So far, Coats says, the response has exceeded expectations.
“We had vision and believed in it but didn’t anticipate the response,” he said. “People are loving it — they’re super excited.”
A slice, in style
By design, Goodfellas Distillery’s vibe is high energy and welcoming. Pizza is served by the pie or slice, from lunch to late night.
The bar is something else entirely. With more than 240 bourbons on the shelf — much of it smartly displayed above the bar against a wall of windows — it is more than just a place to grab a beer with your slice. The entire space has been designed to encourage conversation, and keep folks moving — from the VIP seating in the boiler room tower fitted with a skylight view to the mezzanine, with space for 50-60 people amid swanky leather couches, chairs and billiards.
Further expansion
The road to opening the new place at 1228 Manchester began just over a decade ago.
Coats and Boggs started with a humble storefront on Mill Street in 2006. Ten years later, Goodfellas has expanded to five locations within a two-hour drive, including MainStrasse (Covington) and Over-The-Rhine (OTR, downtown Cincinnati) which also feature Wiseguy Lounges.
Coats and Boggs have more than 75 employees among their five locations.
“We want nothing but the best New York-style pizza, and that begins with our staff,” Coats said. “We are a self-made, independent pizzeria company with a focus on community and families. Our passion radiates to our staff.”
Goodfellas Distillery is their bid to bring the upscale beverage service back to where it all began. MainStrasse and OTR have successful bar beverage operations. However, customer response in Goodfellas OTR sparked a vision of pairing Goodfellas Pizzeria and Wiseguy Lounge, featuring well-crafted interiors and cocktails, for Lexington.
“Alex and Eric are great to work with,” said property owner Chris Kelly. “It’s an awesome space complementary and supportive of the Distillery District.”
Kelly, a structural engineer, is tackling his biggest historic renovation project to date, a project that will return the James E. Pepper name in a boutique distillery slated to open late in 2017.
“Distillery District neighbors have been so supportive,” Coats said.
And if all goes well, progress and further expansion is expected. Once the distillery opens, Kelly has more renovations in mind, with plans for office/event/artist spaces to be available in 2018. Goodfellas, Kelly and other district property owners and neighboring businesses also plan to form a merchant association to back growth and vitality. Goodfellas Pizzeria, for now, will remain a self-made, independent pizza company with plans to add two locations this year in Indianapolis.
“Each location is very involved in the area it is located,” said Coats.