This is Luigi's
Everything changed once the neon sign flicked on. The hand-drawn, neon orange light shines 24/7 inside our space. We’re talking about Luigi’s Bar. The legends, the stories, the grilled cheese disasters, and all the great vibes. So, for this truly authentic conversation, we went to 15-year Luigi’s patron Max Sawka and Luigi himself, Dario Petruzzi.
Combine:
First things first, where did Luigi’s come from?
Dario:
At our last office, they built a custom bar. But it was the speakeasy thing. And it wasn't cool. People didn't hang out there as much because they didn’t know it was there. And then even if they knew about it, which not a lot of people did, it was just actual darkness in there. Look, I love a dark, dank bar. But it was like a cave. It didn't have any feel to it.
Combine:
But at that time, it wasn’t even called Luigi’s, right?
Max:
The MethLab was the original name. 'Meth’ for OneMethodand ‘lab’ for laboratory. We're always making experiments and the bar was this physical place that was home to these experiments. So, when we moved to a new office, we called it the MethLab as well. But the name was insensitive. And not everyone loved it. Also, we were having to explain the name too much.
Combine:
So, then how did it turn from the MethLab to Luigi’s?
Dario:
It was just one of those things where the bar was there. And it's gonna sound selfish, but I like being ‘the guy.’ Like, when I’m working on projects, being ‘the guy,’ can be great. Everyone comes to you to talk about things and you’re involved. So, I really wanted to be ‘the guy,’ in the bar. It would be a Friday at 3pm but everyone seemed a little hesitant. So, I was just like, fuck it. I went back there and started pouring drinks. And that got to be like, a fun, weekly thing. And more and more people started coming. And it was just one of those things where it turned into a place where you could vent about work, but also get excited about other work. And then the name changed because we didn't want to call it a MethLab anymore, and I was like, well, let's just call it Luigi’s selfishly.
Max:
Dude, I think you're missing so many good parts of the story. Number one, Dario’s middle name is Luigi. Critical. And number two, I know he’s saying he likes to be ‘the guy,’ but I think that’s only part of it. The other part is Dario is just the best host. He’s the type of guy that just knows how to get along with everyone. He’s such a good listener, always gets the vibe right, and sets the tone. And that's what a good bartender does. And you just grabbed it. Like we have an open bar with no bartender. Anyone can do whatever, Dario just gravitated towards being the bartender. Because you have all those amazing personality traits, you can stop me if I'm wrong here.
Dario:
I will not. I'm writing it in my diary, and to my therapist.
Max:
It’s like you just naturally became the bartender. And then everyone was like, “what's the name of the bar?” and I guess it just slipped out one time, and you started calling it Luigi’s. And at OneMethod we promote entrepreneurial thinking above all else. So, if someone just says, “Hey, man, this is what this is now.” You got to embrace it.
Dario:
And no one even questioned it ever (laughs). But, yeah, it was nice. It was nice too, you know, I'm not great at complimenting myself. But it was nice to see people gravitate towards the bar on a Friday. And in the early days, we had this unspoken rule where for every bad thing you talk about from the week, you got to say like, two things that were great. And people just naturally had such incredible things to say. So, it's nice to see people be like, “Oh, this sucked,” then follow it up with“this was great.” And then by the time they left, they were in such a great mood.
Max:
It's funny, a bar is just a bar and then there's Luigi’s. And I've already touched on this, but I love the entrepreneurial aspect of how Dario just made it his own. And when you make it your own, you're passionate about it, and you make it better. We have a mantra at OneMethod, it’s“made for us.” Dario embodies this so much; Luigi’s is made for him. And I love that, it's a great representation of what we stand for.
Dario:
Another thing that I love about it is people feel very welcome there. From your first day in the office or your first time going down there, whether you drink alcohol or not, it’s a good vibe. And it’s not all about work either. People who've left OneMethod will come to Luigi’s all the time. Someone will get a text, “Oh, you guys are hanging out? See you at Luigi’s.” It’s such a multipurpose space. But I think inclusion is a big thing and I hope everyone feels as welcome as I've seen.
Combine:
What’s the first story that comes to mind when someone asks about Luigi’s?
Dario:
I'll always remember the first time we had the idea to put somebody's name on a dollar bill when they left. People who came there were like, “Oh, this is a real family situation.”And even if, you know, we don't think about the person leaving in two months, their name is still there. So, it just feels right.
Combine:
Tell us about the neon sign.
Dario:
I hated it because I don't like when people do nice things to me. I fucking hate it. But it was something I'll never forget. It was such a nice heartwarming moment. I had no idea it was coming. After a few months of calling it Luigi’s and doing that every Friday (OM Design Director John) Hotts called me down to the bar. And I was like, “Okay, guys, yeah, we're serving, don't worry. It's a Friday.” And went up to the bar, and they lit the signup. And I was like, this is too nice. It is one of the nicest things anybody's ever done for me. It's great. I think it was Hotts’ idea. He designed it and I think he pitched it to Amin. That took the name from being an OM thing to something official. It cemented it, where now it's like, this is Luigi’s. This is not the MethLab. This is not some agency bar. This is a place called Luigi’s. And it was such a cool moment.
Max:
Everyone was just so stoked when that thing flicked on. It was such a fun day. And it was just a random Friday.
Combine:
Is the space exclusive to The Combine?
Max:
No, I think that's one of the best features of that space. When it's internal, it's Luigi’s. But externally, there's been countless art shows, events, dance battles, concerts, whatever, that come in to use the space. Luigi’s light stays on but it's a totally different entity. So, in terms of outside people using it as Luigi’s I don't think they ever have. But it's always nice to see influencer posts that are like, “Oh, we're at this art show.” And then in the corner of the photo, you see Luigi’s sign.
Combine:
Is Luigi’s always a bar, or have you experimented with other types of events?
Dario:
I'm glad you asked. People would come to Luigi’s straight after work. So, from like 3 pm onward they would drink and they'd be there till 7 or 8. So, they'd skip dinner, which is never a good thing. So, we needed to feed these people something. And most of the time, we would get pizza or whatever. But one day we got a hot dog machine, like a $20 Amazon hot dog cooker situation. And in my brain I was like, “This is the smartest thing we have ever done. It’s going to be beers and cocktails and your friends and we're going to serve hot dogs. It's going to be great.” It lasted maybe two weeks. By round two there was hot dog juice stuck in the bottom. Everything was stuck together. All the condiments were everywhere. It was fucking anarchy.
Max:
Yeah, it didn’t last long. The grilled cheese night though. That was pretty sweet.
Dario:
Yes. Same thing with the grilled cheese night though. Again, we bought a grilled cheese maker. I was like, “This is easy. So fun.” Again, by week two all the machines were stuck together. Melted cheese everywhere. Great idea conceptually though.
Combine:
Even though it’s called Luigi’s and you’re often found behind the bar, isn’t there a sense of community ownership?
Dario:
Yeah. The nice thing is that people in general always like to lend a hand. If someone initiates a cleanup, then everyone jumps in and starts helping. I've even seen account people clean dishes and load some kegs once (laughs). That's the first thing you’ll notice, everybody, chipping in like it's their own. It says Luigi’s. But we all treat it like our own space, which is the way it should be.
Max:
And it's not like a traditional bar where you can just go and throw peanut shells on the ground. We would never do that at Luigi’s. Like it's very particular sense of care that goes into everything, which I always found very inspiring.
Dario:
There’s about 180 people. It's hard to know that many people. Luigi’s is never packed. There are usually 10 to 30 people. So, it's kind of the perfect amount of people where you can chat with everyone. And I've met so many of my colleagues there and had such great conversations. Sometimes it's work-related, but other times I’m learning things I didn't know about a colleague’s life.