Primary Job Title Chief Executive Officer Primary Organization Angevin & Co.
Location Denver, Colorado, United States Regions Greater Denver Area, Western US Gender Male
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Robert Thompson, Founder and CEO of Punch Bowl Social, was raised in Mississippi and Colorado, surrounded by the southern hospitality that now permeates his award-winning “eatertainment” concept where elevated, scratch-made diner eats and crafted cocktails combine with old school games and Dirty-Modern décor to create an unusually dynamic, social,
authentic experience.
In 1997 at age 25, Thompson began his career as a restaurateur in Nashville where he blended his passions for restaurants, real estate and design. Seeing an opportunity, Robert signed an ambitious 22,000 Sft. lease on prime real estate next to the honky-tonks and new commercial realities of downtown Nashville. Thompson wrote a business plan, opened a highly successful business and was forever hooked as a restaurateur.
Before developing his “crown jewel,” Punch Bowl Social, Robert opened eight other restaurant concepts, earned dozens of awards – including four Best New Restaurant honors in Denver and Nashville. Each of those experiences helped him perfect his vision of combining high-integrity food with social bar experiences in a way that had not been seen before Punch Bowl Social.
Thompson opened the first Punch Bowl Social on South Broadway in Denver in 2012. From its beginnings as a single restaurant and bar, the innovative Punch Bowl Social concept immediately established a profound connection with guests who embraced the upscale diner-inspired menu, vintage games and fun, fresh bar offerings. Interior design creativity is cornerstone of the Punch Bowl Social brand and is evident through the Victorian furnishings, Colorado mountain lodge warmth, industrial spaces, modern appointments and dozens of other eye-catching design elements that make Punch Bowl Social so special.
The concept was so popular that developers in other states took notice and began courting Thompson to open Punch Bowl Social locations outside of Colorado. Since 2012, Thompson has opened Punch Bowl Social locations in Austin, TX, Portland, OR and Detroit, MI, will put locations in Cleveland, OH and Chicago, IL in 2015, and in Denver’s Stapleton community in early 2016.
Given the freedom to dream up the best in innovative eats, drinks, service, ambiance and architecture, Robert Thompson has found great success in developing restaurants that guests wholeheartedly embrace. When Robert is not working, Thompson loves distance running the Colorado high-country and spends every spare moment in the company of his wife and young son.
