Horse-Themed Restaurants and Bars on the Rise in U.S. Cities
9 reported
A growing number of restaurants, bars, and cafes across the United States are adopting horse-themed branding and decor, according to a report from Eater. Recent openings include Derby Cup Coffee in New York City, which opened in February with a Kentucky Derby-inspired aesthetic, and the April reopening of the Paddock in Eugene, Oregon, an 80-year-old bar and restaurant that now features minimalist horse drawings and a new menu. A cocktail bar called Pony’s is set to open in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in August. The trend follows last summer’s opening of Il Cavallini in Brooklyn and the vinyl wine bar Horse With No Name in Manhattan’s East Village. Industry experts and founders cited in the article attribute the trend to a desire for classic heritage branding and a flexible symbol that can represent both wildness and refinement. The article notes that this wave of horse-themed hospitality is part of a broader shift away from minimalist, beige-washed restaurant interiors toward more intimate, nostalgic spaces.
What’s reported
Derby Cup Coffee opened in New York City in February with a Kentucky Derby-inspired theme.
The Paddock in Eugene, Oregon, reopened and rebranded in April with horse drawings and a new menu.
Pony’s, a cocktail bar, is scheduled to open in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in August.
Il Cavallini opened in Brooklyn last summer, and Horse With No Name opened in the East Village in August.
Horses, a Los Angeles restaurant, has closed.
Nick Johnson, creative director at All Good, stated that there has been a push toward reinterpreting classic heritage branding in hospitality.
Derby Cup Coffee founder Yasmin Kaytmaz said she grew up as a horseback rider and her mother owned a racehorse.
Pony’s co-founder Elana Shvalbe described the concept as the pony owning the bar, with decor and menu reflecting Eastern European, Baltic, and Mediterranean flavors.
The article reports a shift away from postmodern beige-washed restaurants toward more worn-in, intimate-feeling spaces.
Key figures
Nick Johnson, creative director at All Good
Yasmin Kaytmaz, founder of Derby Cup Coffee and partner at River bar
Elana Shvalbe, co-founder of Pony’s
Michael Furac, co-founder of Pony’s
Sources: eater.com
