Travel into the design of this airline-themed bar in Downtown Phoenix.
by Madison Rutherford | photography by Angelina Aragon
Carry On Airlines whisks travelers from San Francisco to Mexico City in 90 minutes, treating them to destination-inspired cocktails along the way. Passengers are also transported back in time, surrounded by wood-paneled walls and plush shag carpets. The catch? Despite announcements from the “captain” and a convincing turbulence simulation, Carry On is not a real airline – it’s an immersive bar carved out of a former chiropractor’s office in Downtown Phoenix.
“It’s a jumbo jet-inspired, luxury 1970s airline experience,” says Teddy Myers, co-founder of Pretty Decent Concepts, the hospitality group behind Carry On, as well as Downtown hot spots Wren & Wolf, Trophy Room and Chico Malo. “We wanted to create that bygone era where travel was fun and social.”
The bar’s retro-chic interior, helmed by Phoenix designer Peter Bowden, took two years to build out before its maiden voyage in mid-November. “I love the ’70s era of design,” he says. “I feel like it was the last era when things were still raw but kind of modern.”
DESIGN FEATURES
- Bouclé Swivel Chairs
Drawing inspiration from vintage plane seats, these lounge chairs complement Carry On’s warm, earthy color story and showcase its flying penguin logo. - Windows
Carry On’s “windows” display imagery rendered from real footage captured above California and Mexico, with occasional “Easter eggs” like flying penguins. - Martini Light
In-flight service begins when the martini symbol above the bar is illuminated. “It all goes through a show control,” Myers says. “It’s like a brain that automates everything.” - Custom Beverage Cart
The Carry On team commissioned German brand Bordbar to create this upcycled Pan-Am beverage cart, from which flight attendants prepare tableside martinis using penguin-shaped shakers.
- Carpet Art
“Every single thing that you look at and touch and feel is custom,” including this three-dimensional piece that took textile artist David Nott 65 hours to complete, Bowden says.
Carry On
2 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
602-562-3510, carryonphx.com
