by Arielle Dreher
Antipasto Photo courtesy Mangia Bene
It's a Thursday night in July around 8:30 p.m., and the lounge section of BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar is packed and full of life as people partake in the restaurant's new daily event, Social Hour.
Sweet potato fries Photo courtesy Mangia Bene Social Hour is a contrast to the fine dining in the restaurant, and those who get off work later can still partake in the fun unlike with many happy hours. The overall bar-like feel in the lounge doesn't seem to disturb the more serious dinner-goers in the restaurant. It's like the classic bar-restaurant vibe—but not so loud that you have to shout, and you don't have to just sit at the bar or in the lounge to take part. There's also room on the patio if the lounge isn't your thing.
Baked marinara Photo courtesy Mangia Bene Susan Farris, the marketing manager at Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group, says the idea with Social Hour was to offer something different for the Jackson happy-hour scene that catered to young folks who work late and miss the typical end-at-6-p.m. happy hours, as well as for parents who typically also miss happy-hour time (because kids have to be fed and put to bed, too). Social Hour is every night—so on weeknights, it is a late-night happy hour and on the weekend, it becomes the place to start the night.
"It kind of meets everybody's needs that way," Farris says.
"It kind of meets everybody's needs that way," Farris says.
Mini pesto chicken sandwich Photo courtesy Mangia Bene The beauty of Social Hour is the brilliance and power of a $5 bill. Well drinks ("whatever is in the gun" that night), as well as two wine selections (usually one red and one white on a rotating selection) all go for $5 during Social Hour, and the food portion is also affordable, with sweet potato fries, mini pesto-chicken salad sandwiches, bruschetta and crab cakes for $5 each. The menu basically features BRAVO!'s fine dining in smaller bites, which are good for a summer meet-up or chill-out time after work. Farris says the $5 price point was part marketing and part business. It was a doable move for the kitchen staff as well as for the restaurant's budget.
"We wanted something that everyone can afford," Farris says.
"We wanted something that everyone can afford," Farris says.
Wine Photo courtesy Mangia Bene BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244) is closed for renovations until Tuesday, Sept. 26, when the restaurant will host its grand reopening party. After the restaurant reopens, Social Hour will continue, with hours from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
For more information, visit bravobuzz.com.
For more information, visit bravobuzz.com.
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