by Madison Rutherford | photography by Angelina Aragon
Goodfellas meets The Great Gatsby at The Ra Ra Room, an opulent, members-only restaurant tucked beneath PHX Arena.
Operated by New York hospitality powerhouse Major Food Group and styled by global architecture firm Gensler, the space brings Manhattan supper club vibes and Miami Art Deco design to the Sonoran Desert.
Membership is priced at $15,000 a year and includes white-glove concierge service, valet parking, access to two private dining rooms and priority pre-sale tickets to Phoenix Suns and Mercury games. “It’s designed to feel like a club where you either know everyone or you’re going to know everyone,” Siobhan Barry, Gensler’s design director, says.
Barry’s vision: “European, but distinctly Phoenix.” The space delivers with its soft blush, terra cotta and sage green color palette and sculptural columns reminiscent of towering saguaros. Imported details – carpet from India, lighting from Italy – lend a layer of international elegance. Remarkably, the build-out took just 25 weeks, transforming a bare concrete basement into what general manager Jared LoPriore calls a “very cinematic” space.
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of eras, cultural touchpoints and styles, The Ra Ra Room attracts an equally eclectic crowd. “This is the kind of place where anybody – whether they’re in their 20s or their 70s – is perfectly OK with that time travel element,” LoPriore says. “Nobody comes in here and says, ‘Hey, can you turn off the Sinatra?’”
Candy Room
LoPriore says this whimsical, “Wonka-esque” nook near the exit, lined with complimentary jellybeans, gumballs and chocolate, gives guests “something to remind you that the experience is over, but we still appreciate you.”
Chandelier
Crafted from Murano glass pieces designed to resemble feathers, this oversized pendant light is another reference to Phoenix and “the wildness of the desert put in this little Art Deco box,” Barry says.
Austrian Drapes
Rich emerald green and gold Austrian drapes – characterized by their scalloped, ruched design – add “more richness and more layers around you,” Barry says.
Columns
Barry teamed up with Reveal Design Group to construct these commanding up-lit columns inspired by “the ridges of a cactus coming up and flaring out.”
Wall Art
Black-and-white photography and vibrant abstract paintings hang from golden chains throughout the restaurant. “There’s just a little bit of Liberace going on,” Barry says.
