SONNY'S COCKTAIL JOINT GRAND OPENING ON SOUTH STREET
Thursday, January 23, 2025
WITH RETRO FEEL GOOD VIBES, AWARD-WINNING HIGHBALLS, UNDERGROUND PIZZA AND CRAVABLE COMFORT FOOD
Philadelphia, PA - The husband-wife duo behind Grace and Proper Chris Fetfatzes and Heather Annechiarico announce the grand opening of Sonnys Cocktail Joint at 1508 South Street Thursday, January 23 and Friday, January 24. The feel-good laid back neighborhood bar and covered backyard opened to much critical buzz in 2022 and was closed in a fire and took nearly three years to bring back to life. The husband-wife duo are thrilled to share their survivors' story as they rescued the city's first real cocktail dive bar. This time around, Sonny's is back with expertly made cocktails, spins on comfort food classics, underground pizza, a new chef in the kitchen, Instagram-ready throwback vibes, and even a classic pool table. In the kitchen, look for underground pizza guru and Executive Chef of the late and great Hawthornes, Steven Seibel, aka Uncle Pizza Party. He will be slinging bar pies and his take on comfort food snacks like our buffalo blue cheese shrimp. bang bang chicken, double smash burger and much more. For the drink program, look for an extensive list of well-executed cocktails for cocktail lovers from every walk of life, along with a tightly curated list of wines, plus 25 lines and a highball tower, with 13 lines for draft cocktails, 3 for in-line nitro infusions, 4 for forced carbonated, 6 for sub-zero draft freezer cocktail lines, 8 draft beer taps and 4 draft wines. For vibes, look for welcoming, warm and comforting throwback elements like checkered floors, vinyl, textured glass, vintage beer art, thrift purchases, a pool table and an old school fridge. Sonnys is casual, no pressure, and no reservations. Opening hours for now are 5:00pm to 1:00am Wednesday through Sunday (Kitchen until Midnight), and closed Mondays and Tuesdays (which will change in the spring, along with extended hours). Sonny's will open early this Sunday for Birds fans, with a full range of specials including drink specials, cheesesteak shorties, glizzys and champion sweet pots. For more info, visit sonnyscocktailjoint dot com or follow @sonnyscocktaijoint on social media.
"Sonnys Cocktail Joint was designed to be a special bar for everyone where your glass is always full. Isn't that what we all need during these times?" said Fetfatzes. "As professionals in the industry, we craved a watering hole that had quality cocktails without judgment, so we created one. The resulting highbrow/lowbrow bar offers an array of seriously crave-able food and ever-evolving innovative beverages. With a strong focus on craft spirits and cocktails, Sonnys offers a little something for all — from Hawthorne Cafe’s deep craft beer roots and branching out to a small but thoughtful all natu-ral wine program from Wine Dive. Real people serving real drinks, Sonnys Cocktail Joint is everyone’s bar."
He added, "Heather, Susan and our entire extended family at Sonny's has been waiting nearly three years to come back to South Street. We missed everyone - and this is such an amazing and emotional time. Our staff have hung in there with us through so much - and after closing Hawthorne's this month, we have a lot of exciting surprises in the works starting with this reopening. We are still sad to see Wine Dive shuttered from the fire door but we are moving forward and who knows what the future brings. We always have a trick or two up our sleeve."
CONCEPT
BACK STORY
Sonny's was a pandemic project that took over the former Cambridge on South Street. As the pandemic continued from 2020 to 2022, the team had time to think about what Philadelphia and South Street really needed for the venue's next chapter. "In a weird way, being closed gave us the gift of time, which is something you never get in the hospitality industry. We had over a year to properly conceptualize a bar that had an eclectic personality and comfort with great cocktails and a creative food program. And one that was super fun. Sonny's brought us together with a brand new passion project from a bunch of serious cocktail lovers. We were so proud of what we did - and then the fire closed down Sonny's and Wine Dive. We are so thrilled to be back and bring jobs, new life and keep the good times pouring again on South Street."
For the name and inspiration for the personality of Sonnys, the owners kept it close to home. Sonnys is a nod to Fetfatzes' mom, Olimpia Fetfatzes, who passed away while the bar has been closed.
For vision and direction, Fetfatzes and Annechiarico wanted to continue on the journey they started with Wine Dive next door - but take it up a notch. They wanted to take the classic elements of a classic dive bar and raise the bar with an entirely fresh and new experience. They decided early on this would not be another Wine Dive but with cocktails, or a classic sticky dive bar from decades ago. This would be a new breed of neighborhood bar that is the best of all worlds, created for people just like them. It would be for all the Sonnys out there.
"We wanted to take the best of what people know as a neighborhood bar (the casual atmosphere, the low pressure atmosphere, the come-as-you-are attitude) and pair with with expertly made cocktails, a banging menu, a bad a#$ chef and amazing vibes," said Fetfatzes.
DRINK PROGRAM
Sonnys' bar program features something for everyone, from the novice to the cocktail expert. No matter the drink, the focus is on well-done execution, freshness and creativity.
bubbly water
- On demand cocktail glass freezer at the bar
- Freezer Kegged Cocktail for the most rocket cold cocktails this side of the mississippi
- Super deep back bar with Allocated Super rare and limited bourbons / small batch liquors that
we’ve collected over the years.
The cocktail menu feels like a kaleidoscopic time machine with drinks from every era, modern
classics, preprohibition, retro and futuristic from the simple pleasure of a crisp and truly cheap house to rotating craft and local brews, plus iconic staples light beer to local craft brews, draft natural wines, Japanese highballs, Nitro Espresso Martinis, and craft cocktails. but tightly curated to offer just a few favorite examples from a wide range of categories. Cocktails run the gamut from pre prohibition, to molecular gastronomy with everything in between, retro, tiki, modern classics, The wine list reads like a dive where everyone is welcome to the party: eclectic, inclusive, diverse. It’s not the kinda bar where you need to stick to anything, unless of course you want to.
And for warm weather or the cold of heart (like their insurance company), guests are in for a real treat as they spent the last three years dreaming up new ways to offer technique driven cocktails with a fun and approachable twist. Do not miss cocktails from the custom built, in house engineered cocktail freezer. ROCKET COLD.
Sonnys was renovated top to bottom - for both design, efficiency and safety. Inside, look for seating for 60 guests in 2,500 square feet of space in the bar, lounge and dining room. In the covered and eclectic backyard and patio, look for seating for around another 20+ guests. For private events, Sonnys can hold up to 100+ guests cocktail style.
Sonnys comes complete with throwback vibes from a yesteryear or two ago - with inspiration coming from Fetfatzes' childhood growing up in Jersey. From the Birds, to Garfield glasses, to iconic pieces of Philly folklore, Sonnys is where you can step back in time but not miss a beat.
The welcoming aesthetic was selected to exude warmth, comfort and individuality. The space was transformed from top to bottom, both on the inside and out in the backyard. Design elements include checkered floors, vinyl, eclectic tiles, textured glass, vintage beer art, orange glow lighting, custom banquettes, vintage palates, textured walls, living plants, Philly memorabilia, thrift purchases, a jukebox, and an old school fridge. For colors, Sonnys features warm shades of black, white, greys, pops of orange and yellow. Artwork was sourced by local artists, thrifting and drunken online shopping.
Fetfatzes said, "We were inspired by the comfort of throwback bars and old school VFW’s that have zero pretense. We wanted to create a space where guests can enjoy a Pacifico or highlife side by side with highly technical, thoughtfully created cocktails. We sourced from thrift shops, vintage stores, yard sales, neighbors basements, and drunken online shopping."
Interior design was executed by Fetfatzes, with Anne White of AGW Interiors, who is known for her work with Wine Dive.
SWEET POTATO and CHIPOTLE AIOLI $12
GARDEN $12
Sonnys comes complete with a new outdoor wonderland filled with hidden gems from this and past decades, with elements that are fun, warm and inviting. The backyard was designed to be Instagram and TikTok ready, but without being forced. It is a place where customers can lose track of time and escape the city pressures.
For the transformation of the backyard patio, Sonnys features a covered clear roof, ceiling fans, throw rugs, curated mix-match seating, eclectic artwork, vintage collectibles, vintage soulful posters, living plants and flowers, and other surprises.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sonnys is available for rental for special events and private parties. For more information, contact susan at happy monday hospitality dot com. Sonnys comes ready to the party with three HD televisions, a rocking sound system, and a pool table.
Sonny's will open early Sunday an hour ahead of the game (if not earlier) with the following specials, plus the game on with sound, and the pool action going. The outdoor patio will have the heaters fired up and everyone has the Eagles chant at the top of mind.
$5 "short range missiles" aka cocktail shots - nuclear daq & espresso tini
$3 sonny's cheap ass light beer
$8 highballs
$9.99 cosmos
$6 cheesesteak shorties
$6 glizzys
$6 champion sweet pots (sweet potato fries)
Owners - Chris Fetfatzes (he/him) and Heather Annechiarico (she/her)
Executive Chef - Steven Seibel,
General Manager - Brian Oliveira
Beverage Director - Scott Rod
Interior Design - Owners with Anne White (she/her) and AGW Interiors
Public Relations - Aversa PR and Kory Aversa (he/him)
There are no reservations. There's not even a phone. There is no red carpet or velvet rope. There is no valet. In fact, guests may not even get a parking spot on the same block. Will it be worth it? "You better believe it," said Fetfatzes.
For more information, visit sonnyscocktailjoint dot com or follow @sonnyscocktaijoint on social media.
Opening hours for now are 5:00pm to 1:00am Wednesday through Sunday (Kitchen until Midnight), and closed Mondays and Tuesdays (which will change in the spring, along with extended hours).