Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Vongkavivathanakul and Cindy La.
Vincent and Cindy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The location of Rhythm Room LA was the last spot on a list of close to thirty different addresses in the LA area we viewed for the purpose of opening a Jazz bar and lounge. After returning to Los Angeles from spending several years living and working in both New York and Louisiana, we thought we could add something new and exciting to our hometown that hadn’t been seen before. Our introduction to the location was somewhat comical, given what we now know about its history, because the landlord was hesitant to show us the space due to its challenging architectural layout. The place is underground, has multiple floor elevations, numerous columns, and remained unfinished through several attempts to remodel and reuse. I still remember the feeling as we descended down the old marble staircase, it was a feeling of uncertainty that quickly turned to excitement as we walked the space, discovering more and more around each corner. The more we researched the history of the Rhythm Room the more we realized that this is the perfect place for us. My partner and I remember visiting big cities throughout our travels and each had their own local spot where residents gathered over social activities, casually, without pretense or novelty, and it was so organic; something that we felt was missing in Downtown Los Angeles. It was not just about opening a bar, we wanted to provide our patrons with an alternative experience, and a purpose for socializing that was fun and cool, the concept came from our experiences around the world but ultimately, we’re doing this in spirit of what we felt may be a forgotten part of Los Angeles. Literally, not twenty minutes after we left from our initial walkthrough, we were at the local coffee shop down the street putting our heads down to start drawing out the concept and getting to work!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely a bumpy road, especially since this was the very first bar we’ve ever opened but, we’ve been so incredibly lucky to have met really amazing people who’ve all helped make this happen. A few of the almost cliché bumps we’ve encountered include being scammed by our first expeditor, our first “General Contractor,” lost records, etc… The age of the building, being over a century old, was a whole separate set of problems on its own. I’m sure our contractors loved us when we needed them to drill into 5ft of concrete built 111 years ago. On top of this we added all new electrical, HVAC, fire system, and plumbing which was great fun. One of our partners who worked on site daily was almost in tears finding out that the new sinks were functioning and no longer had to wash her hands hovered over a used paint bucket. The list goes on but I think you get the idea.
Please tell us about Rhythm Room LA.
Rhythm Room LA is about providing a social space centered around engaging social activities such as games, night life, and live music. We aim to keep things simple and basic, focusing on quality over quantity, with each product executed with full intent. Fresh ingredients, quality service, food, and beverages, and an engaging experience. We are proud to have such an incredible team who each have added to their own unique incredible energy to this endeavor, jumping on board and believing in the concept when we had no clue where we were headed. We actually still don’t know where we are headed but don’t tell our team that please. I think the Rhythm Room LA staff really sets us apart, when we all love being here there is an energy that is contagious resulting in serving our patrons with a great attitude, quality ingredients, and a genuinely nice service.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
NOT open a bar, jk. The “not to do” list is certainly very long, but to begin with we would have allocated a space for an office. We all work in a Harry Potter bedroom, underneath the stairs. It’s a tiny space with an inconvenient fire sprinkler pipe that runs down the middle so that we can all hit it a few dozen times a day and remind ourselves to never do this again. But really, find consultants or contractors with a great resume, or a great pedigree whose work you can vet and validate. If you truly believe in the success of your business then focus on opening your doors with a well executed vision and let the paper pushers or engineers do what they are good at. A penny saved is a penny earned, but earning that penny from a well executed plan just seems that much sweeter for some reason. Doesn’t it?
Pricing:
- Pool, Ping Pong = $14/hour
- Shuffleboard = $12/hour
- Darts, Foosball, Board games, Cards, Great Times = Free
Contact Info:
- Address: 206 w. 6th St. #BSMT
Los Angeles, CA 90014 - Website: RhythmRoomLA.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Rhythmroomla
- Facebook: Rhythmroomla
- Twitter: Rhythmroomla
- Yelp: Rhythm Room LA
- Other: Snapchat: RhythmRoomLA
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
