Conceptually Social, a concept local to Phoenix, is excited to announce that they are bringing new life to the Warehouse District this spring. With their already successful concepts, such as Be Coffee, and The Dressing Room, this new venture will inevitably be a hit.
Troy Watkins and Kyu Utsunomiya, owners and partners, started Conceptually Social after being in the food industry for 28 years. With all of the experience and exposure under their belt, they felt it was time to go into business for themselves. From working in fine dining and hotel hospitality environments, the next step was to dive into the unique art and entertainment space that Downtown Phoenix provides.
Kyu and Troy loved the vibe that Roosevelt Row possessed and decided that they wanted to contribute to the bustling downtown scene. The Monorchid is where they set up shop to launch their new venture. With only nine people on staff, a catering business was born overnight. Small to medium-sized events blossomed out of the back kitchen of the Monorchid, and the rest was history.
Once Songbird, another beloved coffee shop in the Valley, moved to a different location, BE Coffee began. However, Conceptually Social didn’t stop there. In early 2017, The Dressing Room opened next door.
This fast-growing concept then dipped their toes in the booming tech space by catering for UBER’s downtown office five days a week. As a result of this, they began catering for Carvana, Tesla, Zenreach, and more. Through this new path in the tech space, Kyu and Troy were introduced to Mike Cowley, owner of Cowley Companies, a real estate business that is involved in adaptive reuse projects in the Phoenix Warehouse District. Mike announced that there was space available and that the Warehouse District was in need of more restaurants.
Kyu and Troy didn’t hesitate and ran with this new opportunity to revamp their company into a Food and Beverage Solutions business.
“We put our chips all into this avenue of our company, and it has changed what we consider ourselves and Conceptually Social,” stated Kyu.
The idea behind this new concept is to go into a space, address their food and beverage needs, and become that needed solution.
Galvanize, a co-working space in The Warehouse District, was in need of a restaurant in the building. Kyu and Troy were delighted to become part of this space, and have since introduced their newest concept, The Larry, to be debuting in spring of this year. The Larry will not only be a great addition to Galvanize but the surrounding community as well.
When asked what sparked the interest in this environment, Kyu stated that “We saw exciting growth in the Warehouse District. Galvanize has a lot of growth and many companies are on the verge of something special.”
The Larry will have features specific to the concept that includes a cutting-edge coffee program, a significant grab and go section, rotating vegan and vegetarian options, comfort elements, and cocktails. As a perk, the restaurant will have a point of sales system that connects to an app for the members of Galvanize to get food and beverages delivered to their desk with no minimum fees.
Talk about service!
The Larry, named after the buildings original 1940’s title “The Lawrence” will be a place for the neighborhood to gather, sip on some great beverages, taste global cuisine, or even stop by for some grab-and-go options for those nights when the last thing on your mind is making dinner.
With a full patio and comfortable seating that flows into the lobby of Galvanize, this space will be your new favorite spot to get some work done or meet a friend for a drink.
“We want it to be the place that has what everyone needs. We want to create an atmosphere where it’s fun to beat the traffic,” stated Kyu.
With an anticipated opening date in early April, get ready to become #friendsoflarry and experience craveable food, good drinks, and a chill atmosphere.
