Talkin' Trash: Porky's NYC Epitomizes the Fight for the Right to Party

The music pounds along with the eclectic clientele taking shots at the bar, and there's no doubt in anyone's mind that another night of mischief has begun at Porky's NYC, the successfully self-proclaimed "Shame of New York" -- and so it has. Amidst the upper crust of Manhattan's nightlife pizza lies a defiant slice of homemade entertainment in the Chelsea district, a true back-to-the-roots definition of a party that would make the Beastie Boys proud (and indeed, in this area of New York City, club management really does "fight for their right to party"). Accordingly, though, diverse and inquisitive patrons abound in this haven for the strong in spirit. Short or tall, large or small -- come one, come all -- and see first-hand how taking business seriously while letting loose on the atmosphere has worked wonders for this club's concept. Yes, it is a bit of a circus once the sun sets. If you're a guest here, leave your pretentions at the door, but keep your expectations of taking a break from the norm. One of many assets that Porky's operators can boast is its steadfastness as THE anything-goes joint for uptight people to unwind and take in another, more carefree side of the city that never sleeps -- and Porky's NYC never does. But, from a club that sent out its grand opening invitations on rolls of custom-printed toilet paper and proclaims that drinks are free, usually, from the toilets, what else could one expect?

Lucratively Lampoon

When John Cestare, 34, and Rob Verderosa, 30, two industry veterans with 10-plus years of experience each, sat down at the bar to take a break from the events at the 2005 Nightclub & Bar show, they didn't know at the time that their light-hearted banter about a fun club concept was a foreshadowing of things to come. Rather, the pair of Long Island friends were simply sharing a few drinks and some ideas. However, "a few Jager Bombs later," as Cestare says, the raucous laughter morphed into raised eyebrows and more serious consideration, and the plot began to thicken.

"I had worked on a lot of Long Island projects, and John had been working with Coyote Ugly," Verderosa says. "We both took our staffs to the Nightclub & Bar show, and after we had a chance to get together and share ideas together, a collaboration between us started. After talking about this potential concept, we said, 'Hey, we may actually be on to something here.'"

That something is Porky's NYC as it's known today after the subsequent business plan went into effect -- a wild, carefree concept that intentionally sticks out like a sore thumb among its trendy neighbors. "We cut a deal and converted property in one of the nicest areas of New York," Cestare says. "We took an upscale sushi place on west 21st street and downscaled it." Verderosa adds that because of the high rent of the 3,000 square-foot venue, time was of the essence. "We had the whole place reconstructed to fit our concept in 30 days' time," he says. Indeed, as the creators and driving forces behind Porky's NYC, Cestare and Verderosa worked furiously to outfit the space and put investors' minds at ease. While the outfitting, which included urban street decor, neon, grafitti and humorously offbeat signs and photos, went well, naysayers abounded.

"Everybody said we'd fail, that we wouldn't last two months here," Cestare says. "But we pressed on, opened up and today, we have a line down the block four nights a week."

Cestare and Verderosa say another factor was against them from the onset: their opening time. The month of December is a notoriously poor point in the calendar to launch a new on-premise venture in Manhattan, but regardless, that's when Porky's NYC was unveiled to the public. Of course, with grand opening invitations promising free food and drink that were printed on rolls of toilet paper and mailed to local New Yorkers (as well as media outlets all over), the anticipation factor was elevated, and people were curious. The fact that Don Vito of MTV's "Bam Bargera" fame was there to host the opening didn't hurt, either. Needless to say, the 2005 launch was successful, and Cestare, Verderosa and company were both somewhat surprised that their initially jesting conversation was a reality and at the same time smug that their assertion of a concept being lampoon and lucrative was becoming validated.

"We didn't want to reinvent the wheel; we just wanted to roll differently," Verderosa says.

What's In a Name?

Beyond its quirky slogans, funky decor and purposely crazy atmosphere, what vaildates Porky's NYC today most is its consistency to those things. What Cestare, Verderosa and company have accomplished is a tribute to the trivial, a concern for the details of daily operation that patrons can inspect and respect. Take beverage, food and music -- or as the venue's flyers announce, warm beer, lousy food and crazy fun -- for example.

Starting with the Porky's NYC beverage menu, its creators have once again downplayed their efforts and made light of themselves by emphasizing warm beer. Although the club is one of the top-selling Bud Light accounts in the city, beer is just the beginning. Porky's has a sizable list of bawdy specialty drinks, including The Dirty Girl Scout, a chilled Martini concoction of Three Olives Vodka, creme de menthe, creme de cacao and Hershey's chocolate syrup; and there's Bust a Nut, an Almond Joy-tasting Martini made with Three Olives Vodka, Malibu, amaretto and Hershey's syrup. One can imagine some of the other creatively monikored Martinis on the list, but the whole spectrum is displayed for guests on glossy table tents to get their attention. Or, for those patrons preferring the club's optional bottle service, they can remain seated at their table and be served their choice of spirits, as long as that entails the spirits being served in small trash cans and presented with a bag of Fritos. "We try to get a rise out of people as much as possible," Verderosa says.

When it comes to food, Porky's NYC's menu is equally, well, bad. "It's all bad for you!" Cestare says. "Don't come in here on a diet!" He refers to popular appetizers such as Swedish Massage Meatballs, Wings With Things, The Captain's Middle Chicken Fingers and of, course, Well Endowed Wrapped Weiners. The food menu goes on much more, though, and when the clever item names under the Appetizing Appetizers header begin to normalize where Entertaining Entrees starts (such as with Shrimp Scampi or Baked Ziti), the Porky's NYC staff is quick to apologize by stating that they sobered up at that point.

Promotion: Porky's NYC Style

One can see the pattern here. Porky's NYC operators take the task of self-deprecating humor quite seriously, and it doesn't end with food and beverage by any stretch of the imagination. Every facet of the club is a testament to the popularity and profit operators can gain by making fun of themselves. When it comes to Porky's promotions, however, the marketing behind them is more serious without losing any of the panache that makes the club so unique. From Theme Party Fridays, which include Toga, Luau, Sports, '80s and '90s, Circus, Carnival and Naughty Schoolgirl, to Saturday's Ladies Night when each week women drink free until 11 p.m. and a lucky one wins a free vacation to destinations such as Mexico, Jamaica or Las Vegas. Celebrity appearances from personalities such as Vanilla Ice, Ron Jeremy, Nikki Sixx or Wyclef Jean -- or premiere parties such as with the cast of "The Sopranos" or Flavor Flav for his VH1 "Flavor of Love" show -- have been key for generating buzz.

Ladies Night, too, is a crucial element of the cash flow for Porky's NYC. By catering specially to women and by emphasizing the club as professional at hosting bachelorette parties -- with several packages available -- clientele is predominantly 21-30 years old and the female-to-male ratio at the 400-capacity club tends to range from 50/50 to 60/40, Cestare and Verderosa say. This isn't to say that bachelor parties at Porky's NYC aren't huge for business and pleasure, too, though. "Our motto is, 'If your wife can handle you having your bachelor party at Porky's NYC, then she's the one for you," Cestare says with a laugh. "We specialize in bachelor and bachelorette parties."

The marketing and advertising of these events, planned three months out at all times, is something Porky's staff has proficiently handled, and flyers have proven to be the one for them. Colorful, raucous postcards -- sometimes fold-outs that include a business card-sized mini-flyer good for specials -- have been effective at attracting guests. Cestare and Verderosa say radio advertising for special events also works well, sure, but their true trick of the trade lies with their database of patrons. Guests often are personally called by staff to briefly alert them to or remind them of special events.
Does it work? Yes. "The whole place is marketing-driven," Cestare says. He cites the example of hyping Porky's NYC as a place for a person to enjoy his or her birthday to the fullest, then having staff mail that person a T-shirt the next day wishing them well after their massive hangover. Verderosa agrees that the traffic would not range from 650 to 1,000 people per night without such non-stop promotion, adding that he works with limo companies, salons and other local businesses to raise the club's awareness, and he says the club's concierge program (complete with nominal kickbacks for involved parties) has been a hit. Cestare adds that while traffic peaks from 9 p.m. and usually is steady until close at 4 a.m., it comes back to promotion. He says broadcasting flyers for upcoming events in between sports or zany movies on the club's 10 flat-screen TV sets works well, and he and Verderosa also send girls down to Madison Square Garden to pass out glossy flyer cards during events and concerts. "It's constant," Cestare says, "but it has to be."

While none of the above is revolutionary, it has been solid for producing sales. Porky's NYC is a wild, free-for-all place with a make-fun-of-it angle, and that's exactly what guests love. Why not market it this way, Cestare and Verderosa say.

Toni Ann Di Re, marketing director, shares her perspective on how liberating the Porky's NYC philosophy can be as an operator. "I've been able to do everything with (Porky's)," she says. "From day one, I've been excited by how much guests have been excited coming in here, and the flexibility in environment that this club offers has allowed me to use a variety of marketing skills that I've learned. Basically, the crazier, the better -- and it works! So many people love it here ... it doesn't have the 'cool guy' attitude that so many other places do. So, the environment itself spurs ideas."

Di Re says she believes these offbeat marketing tactics are as lucrative for management as they are alluring for guests, and "little things" such as continuously uploading patrons' photos to the Web site or offering them free shots when they're in line to close their bar tabs, for example, go a very long way as part of the total package that Porky's NYC collectively works to break the mold. She says too that the ability for servers to be relaxed, comfortable and lively translates into guests talking more, eating and drinking more and, ultimately, staying longer.

They All Come In to Get Away

This is what Porky's NYC boils down to: openness and humor. "We like to make fun of our place," Cestare says, but by purposely making light of the operation, he and Verderosa have created an on-premise business that's no laughing matter for their staff of 20. "It's a 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week business," Cestare says. And while it may be "the place to bring your other girlfriend," as Verderosa jests, it's also a proven place to entertain friends, colleagues and even your boss. The phenomenon where audiences warm up quickly to speakers who begin their soliloquy with some self-deprecating humor is in practice four days a week, and the resulting success continues.

"It's Hooters on steroids," Verderosa, but it's also the B movie of the Manhattan bar scene, and it's a movie that knowing guests come back to watch again and again like "Porky's" itself. Although Porky's NYC may usually have free drinks available from the toilet, it always has guests lined up to purchase them in abundance at the bar, and the free-for-all decor and staff attitude are the primary reason. It's a Manhattan anomaly, to be sure, but numerous New Yorkers and New Englanders have been welcoming the getaway from the uptight and usual -- not to mention others around the country. As visitors to Porky's NYC return home to their own markets, many find them desiring that devil-may-care atmosphere.

So, what's next for Cestare, Verderosa and their concept? "We're in the process of exploring several cities for Porky's," Cestare says. "I believe we're in a position to franchise, but we'd like to be very strategic about it.

"Porky's is not for everyone," he says. "and that's absolutely OK."