February 30 Declared an Unparalleled Success

The Hamra Alleyway welcomes its newest hit venue to accolades and incredulity

Beirut April 2012- I’ll see you on February 30? Instead try: I’ll see you AT February 30! The highly anticipated venue opened one month ago to a thronging crowd that had been paying close attention to the social media teaser campaign executed 3 weeks in advance of the launch. A strategic leaking of tidbits about the wild world of February 30 further boosted anticipation levels, engaging the online community of Lebanon. “A fake launch date was announced first to engage public attention, and we took advantage of the fact that only once every 4 years does a leap year occur,” explained Rony Abou Saab, Managing Partner of Concepts in Motion (CIM). Rather, on March 15, 2012 to a resounding chorus of surprise, exclamation and finally, enjoyment, partygoers thronged the venue to get first dibs at experiencing the eclectic surroundings and comprehensive food and beverage menus.

The international-based menu is a “selection of extremely well received dishes. We have breakfast and brunch fare, and of course we are quite proud of the compliments that our lunch-dinner menu is getting,” said Rabih Fakhreddine of CIM. The whimsical wording of the sensational food and cocktail menus echoes the overall tone of the February 30 culture: not at all what you’d expect. The comprehensive drink selection includes a martini grouping, wine grouping and signature house cocktails perfected by an onsite mixologist and developed exclusively for CIM.

And what better way to enjoy a fine meal and good drinks? By toasting to February 30’s playlists -specifically handpicked to express the February 30 topsy turvy culture- the music runs the gamut from pop to rock to even crowd-pleasing Lebanese golden oldies. Regarding the positive reception to the unusual rotation of different music genres, Abou Saab explained that the choice to mix in Lebanon’s favorite kitsch tunes like Ziad Rahbani was “enacted by popular demand. We noticed that when a Ziad Rahbani song hit the sound system, people spontaneously jumped out of their seats and sang-along. It’s a revival of the great times in Lebanon, which is also what February 30’s retro-chic is about.”

“Guests attending the opening were privy to the first look at the shocking venue meant to transport their senses. We’ve dissected the traditional bar elements and done everything possible to go against the grain. If there is a way to really turn things upside down, you’ll find it at February 30,” continued Abou Saab, adding that Creative LAB, the architecture firm behind the third and most ambitious of CIM’s projects to date, took things to “a whole new level with February 30”. Already gathering mass media attention, CIM conceptual venues were recently featured on Future Television’s Lamasat highlighting the architecture of Creative LAB’s 3 CIM projects, including FACES and Big Shot pubs. “We look forward to a feature about February 30’s architecture scheduled to print shortly in one of Lebanon’s premier interior décor magazines,” remarked Fakhreddine.

February 30 welcomes guests daily beginning at 10am until 4am.