Punch Bowl Social, San Diego, CA

The Herd loves the challenge of an unconventional project, so when Punch Bowl Social said they wanted to convert a historic boxing venue into their popular restaurant and social entertainment concept, we were more than ready to step into the ring. The PBS team aptly chose the San Diego Coliseum in the East Village for their 14th location, where the likes of Jimmy McLarnin, James J. Braddock, Archie Moore and other boxing legends of the 1920s traded punches.

Converting an 80 year-old building into a two-story, 23,500 sq ft “eatertainment ” complex was no easy feat, but the Herd is used to bobbing and weaving to get the job done. Working with the other tenants of Maker’s Quarter and the local historical preservation society, we were able to preserve the integrity of the original architecture, while staying in theme with Punch Bowl Social’s hip, eclectic design. Keeping the open-truss arched ceiling exposed and building custom doors and windows, we pulled all the punches to maintain the unique history of the building. We were even able to repurpose the original wood bleachers and ropes from the arena as unique design features on the walls; a subtle nod to its boxing past.

The Herd knows restaurants like the back of our hooves, but this was no ordinary kitchen. This baby had to be capable of feeding up to 1,000 people at a time and live up to the standards of James Beard award-winning celebrity chef, Hugh Acheson. That’s one high bar, but with our experience, the PBS team knew we were the top contender for the job.

Exceptional guest experience is top priority for Punch Bowl Social, so we had to keep our eyes on the prize – FUN. Featuring a 150-seat restaurant, multiple bars (including one that’s 360°), eight bowling lanes, bocce courts, arcade, ping pong tables, dart boards, shuffleboards, foosball, karaoke rooms and more … (whew, our hooves are tired), this mega playland takes fun to a whole new level. Luckily, fun is Roman’s middle name. Actually, it’s A., but the Herd definitely knows how fun is done.

Needless to say, this project was a challenge, but we did what Buffalo do and met it head-on, finishing in 7 short months from start to finish! It took the unique talent of our own Bill Mattli to roll with the punches in response to the daily changes this project brought with it. And we have to give kudos to our cornermen, our vendor partners. We couldn’t have done it without their dedication and commitment to Building Better! I guess you might say, this job was a TKO!