Creating a Cultural Movement

Scott Lipps began his creative life as a drummer in Los Angelese before finding himself managing a premium boutique agency for top models in New York City. Today he juggles the assignments of Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigova, to name a few. On a beautiful fall day recently, Scott set aside his daily business to introduce his two friends Matt Kliegman and Carlos Quirarte, owners of The Smile. The café located on Bond Street in lower Manhattan is Scott’s “second office.” He pops in here a couple of times a day to enjoy the hospitality and to mingle with the highly creative crowd, among whom the café has become a popular hangout. “In their own right, Carlos and Matt are creating a sort of cultural movement with their locations,” says Scott. When Matt and Carlos left their corporate jobs in early 2009, all of their close friends thought they had finally gone insane. What else would explain their risky shift into the restaurant business at a time when the most severe economic crisis was just about to explode. Against all odds, Matt and Carlos took off on their daring adventure, opening a single café in SoHo. Their idea quickly evolved into a conglomerate of three NYC hotspots including an event location in the Jane Hotel and a club on the far west side of the city called Westway. 

Learn more about The Smile HERE and The Jane Hotel HERE.

Production: Thomas Escher / Filming, Photos, and Editing: The Frei Group / Music: Bunnystripes