LivingSocial Launches “live events venue” at 918 F Street, NW

We’ve previously admired the building at 918 F St, NW – now we can admire the inside too.

Photo courtesy of LivingSocial

From LivingSocial press release:

“Today, LivingSocial announced the opening of 918 F Street, a first-of-its-kind live events venue where LivingSocial and its merchant partners will offer pop-up restaurants, classes and hands-on activities. An ambitious test for the company, 918 F Street will give local merchants additional space and state-of-the-art facilities to reach new customers and share the best of Washington, DC.

“Since its inception, LivingSocial has been successful in creating unique experiences that help our members discover the best of their town,” said Doug Miller, SVP New Initiatives for LivingSocial. “918 F Street will serve as a venue for special experiences where local residents can try the hottest pop-up restaurants, take a yoga or painting class, learn to make sushi or participate in scores of other social activities. In our state-of-the-art facility, local merchants get the resources, space and audience they need to scale their businesses and reach new customers. We believe this is the next step in the evolution of local commerce and complements our existing offerings.”

The venue, which has six floors plus a basement, was created to be flexible enough to host a wide range of activities. Among its capabilities, 918 F Street features a state-of-the-art culinary kitchen for visiting chefs to host distinctive pop-up restaurants; a 36-person demonstration kitchen for cooking and baking classes with live automated video feeds of the chef; three flexible spaces that can be adapted for dining, dancing, classes, workshops and more; a basement bar where consumers can learn mixology or taste local brews.

918 F Street gives local merchants more space, flexibility and opportunity to create unique experiences for consumers without interrupting operations at their normal place of business.

918 F Street’s inaugural event will be a sneak peek of Bandolero, the highly-anticipated restaurant from Mike Isabella, Chef/Owner of Graffiato and Top Chef All-Stars Runner-Up. Bandolero is scheduled to open Spring 2012 in Georgetown and will feature modern Mexican small plates with a large, tequila-infused cocktail menu.

“LivingSocial is opening a first-of-its-kind venue – from kitchen to tabletop – that allows me both a training opportunity for my team and a chance to test recipes for our menu,” said Isabella. “I’m excited to be the first in the 918 F Street kitchen testing my concepts for the new restaurant, and I look forward to seeing guests react to some Bandolero dishes and cocktails before it opens.”

List of activities and events after the jump.

Photo courtesy of LivingSocial

918 F Street Events & Activities

LivingSocial 918 F Street will offer a wide range of unique original programming. From restaurants to yoga to painting, members can rest assured that all merchants have received the LivingSocial stamp of approval and will provide a memorable experience.

Consumers will be able to purchase a voucher through LivingSocial.com to attend activities led by acclaimed local merchants including:

· A pop-up restaurant from Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac (Birch & Barley);
· Sushi rolling classes taught by instructors from Sticky Rice;
· Photography classes led by Douglas Sonders;
· Cooking classes taught by Executive Chef Frederick de Pue of 42 Degrees Catering;
· Chocolate Making & Tasting Class from instructors, including Executive Chef Santosh Tiptur, from Co Co. Sala Lounge & Boutique;
· Artisan cheese and craft beer tastings taught by Cowgirl Creamery;;
· Cocktail and Mixology courses taught by Founding Farmers’ award-winning chief mixologist, Jon Arroyo;
· Kids’ cooking classes from KitchKat;
· Yoga classes taught by Yoga District instructors; and
· Painting and wine tasting classes.

For a full list of LivingSocial products and the cities where products are available, go to livingsocial.com.”