Red Phone Booth isn’t simply a Prohibition-themed bar—it’s “a time machine with modern standards,” says founder Stephen de Haan. The luxury speakeasy concept transports guests to the elegance and intrigue of the 1920s, centered around its hidden entrance through restored London red phone booths requiring a secret entry code. De Haan’s grandfather was a Prohibition-era pharmacist who entertained “like it was an art form” with great spirits, cigars, stories, and high standards. So when he stepped behind a bar for the first time in the ‘90s, that ethos clicked for him—and sparked the idea for Red Phone Booth.
“I wanted to build a place that treated classic cocktails with the same respect a great kitchen gives a foundational recipe,” he continues. “Red Phone Booth is my answer to a simple question: ‘What would an upscale members-forward speakeasy look like if you obsessed over every detail, the entry ritual, the glassware, the ice program, the air you breathe, without losing the warmth and joy of a night out?’”
Think plush Italian leather couches, a honey onyx bar, vintage-inspired decor, intimate lighting and fireplaces, and a cigar lounge with a curated selection of over 200 cigars, housed in a temperature and humidity controlled space. The menu features Italian small plates and “Prohibition starters” like jumbo shrimp cocktails and chef-selected charcuterie boards, as well as authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas like The Spicy Sicilian with house-made San Marzano sauce, garlic, bacon, fior di latte mozzarella, fontina, Calabrian chili peppers, parmesan, and oregano.
“For us, the theme is a set of standards, not a costume,” de Haan says. “The phone booth entry, the jazz, the leather sofas, the reflection style paintings; they are not decorations—they are context. But context alone does not carry a night. Precision does.”
- Founder: Stephen de Haan
- HQ: Atlanta
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Units: 7
- Year Founded: 2016
Behind the curtain, Red Phone Booth operates like a high-end restaurant group with recipe books, prep lists, spirit specs, mise en place for the bar, batch and dilution controls, and a special air filtration system that recycles the air in minutes. Add that to a high-end whiskey and agave program and a food menu that can stand next to a $30 cocktail “without blinking,” de Haan notes, and you’ve got something special that people keep returning to—especially with its VIP membership model. Though not required, becoming a member adds perks like preferred seating, priority on events, rare spirits, intimate tastings, and reciprocal access when guests travel to other locations.
“I wanted to build a club where people feel known by name, by palate, and by cigar preferences, not just processed. Membership gives us permission to invest in that relationship,” de Haan says. “I encourage anyone to procure the entry code and visit. You can get the nightly code from a friend or member, from a partner hotel concierge, or through select community partners. The booth is an entry ritual, not a velvet rope.”
“It is a club, not a clique,” he adds.
The first Red Phone Booth location opened in 2016 in downtown Atlanta, followed by a second location in nearby Buckhead. Since then, the concept has expanded its classy prestige to markets including Miami; Dallas, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. Under the guidance of parent company Roaring Franchises, the brand has also announced locations opening soon in Tampa, Florida, and Durham, North Carolina, which will mark seven total locations by the end of 2025.
“We are intentional about where we go,” de Haan says. “We look for a strong cocktail culture and cigar community, walkable districts with architectural character, partner alignment with operators who love the craft, and a member base we can serve for decades.
Each location is lightly and thoughtfully tailored to the vibe of the unique community. For example, Brickell gets domino tables in the Mafia Room “because that is Miami,” he notes, while Dallas features an expanded tequila selection because the market asked for it. The core stays the same, but the accents change.
“We document the non-negotiables and empower the local touches,” de Haan continues. “Non-negotiables are our cocktail specs, the fresh juice program, the ice and glassware standards, humidor care, air filtration, service choreography, and the overall design language. Those do not move. Local touches live in the details with artwork, one or two menu nods, the way we program member events, and the Mafia Room amenities.”
Red Phone Booth’s growth strategy is to open one to three new locations per year at a maximum, while continuing to focus on current markets to ensure those clubs are thriving.
To maintain consistency across markets as it expands, the franchise company invests in training ahead of opening, audits frequently, and keeps a support team in motion to coach operators. The team also uses AI to help standardize training materials and pre-shift briefs without losing the human element. “It is not set and forget. It is train and tend,” de Haan says. “AI does not replace a handshake. It helps us deliver one that feels even more thoughtful. Immersion gets people talking. Operational excellence brings them back.”
When vetting prospective franchise partners, Red Phone Booth looks for three things: values, discipline, and stamina. They need to “love hospitality at a cellular level and believe in classic cocktails and cigar culture,” de Haan explains. “If you do not get joy from getting it right, this brand will not fit.” With discipline, it’s all about following specs each night and saying no to any shortcuts; will you invest in the right HVAC, the right humidor, the right prep. And with stamina, de Haan notes operators need the patience to host tastings, shake hands, and keep standards high—both on busy nights and when it’s quieter. “Great clubs are built guest by guest,” he says.
“Capital matters, but character matters more. We turn down good money if the operator is not right for the brand,” he adds.
Red Phone Booth’s emphasis on quality over volume in both cocktails and cigars changes the pace of the evening, de Haan notes. “We measure success in conversations per minute, not turns per hour. A proper Smoked Old Fashioned cocktail with a hand-cut cube next to a well-paired cigar is not something you rush,” he says. “Add an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza and Italian small plates and you have a two-hour experience done intentionally.”
In Buckhead and Downtown Atlanta, Red Phone Booth’s sister brands Amalfi Cucina and Mercato next door provide the authentic menu. In Nashville, Dallas, Miami, Tampa, and Durham, the Red Phone Booth kitchen produces the same authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas and Italian small plates with a touch of local influence.
Red Phone Booth’s carefully curated cocktail program features classics like the Smoked Old Fashioned, which blends Four Roses Bourbon, la perruche sugar cubes, and Angostura bitters with fresh citrus peel, individually smoked with hickory wood; and the Bramble, which was created by the leading bartender in the UK in the 1980’s and traces its roots to the Gin Fix from Jerry Thomas’s bartender’s guide (1862). Another standout: Inspired by the pilots of the early 1900s, the Aviation cocktail made its debut in Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 publication “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” and is the perfect balance of tart and sweet with gin, creme de violette, and fresh juice.
“Because we will not cut corners, because there is trust, guests know that if a spirit or cigar makes our list, it belongs there,” de Haan says. “They know the air will be comfortable, the glassware will not compromise the drink, and the staff can speak in depth about what is in the glass and in the humidor. Loyalty is a byproduct of consistent standards.”
As far as his take on the current state of upscale nightlife and hospitality trends in general, de Haan is excited about the growing desire for depth. “Guests want fewer, better things. Better whiskey and agave programs, better ice and glassware, better air quality,” he says.
“We will stay selective. Growth is great, but the concept only works if it feels special. We are in this for the long run,” he adds.
