Steven Funkhouser just opened Emporium at Area15 a few months ago, but he’s played a supporting role in the company for more than four years. Before he moved to Las Vegas, the general manager helped launch the brand’s San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., locations.
Funkhouser has a long history in the food and beverage industry, starting off as a bartender for various dive bars around the City by the Bay, eventually graduating to managing huge nightclubs. But in 2017 he switched it up and decided to join Emporium, a company that creates kid-like fun for adults in the form of an arcade bar.
“We like to be a lot of things besides just being a place for video and classic games,” Funkhouser says. “We also try bringing a lot of other things to the table. We do a lot of events, music, DJs—it’s a very lively atmosphere. We try to be a fun place from all aspects. We try to give a little something to everyone. Emporium’s goal is to be accessible with a diverse crowd. It’s a high-energy vibe but laid-back—a place where it’s an alternative to a nightclub.”
As the general manager, Funkhouser helped build Emporium’s new location, its sixth, from the ground up. There was nothing but empty walls and construction, and now the two-story space is packed with impressive local art, video games, classic pinball machines and a craft cocktail bar.
“I’m a very active person, I would never do well behind a desk,” he says. “I’ve always liked walking around, being social, talking with people. As a manager, I’m always getting to know my guests, being out in the scene. And I’ve always been a manager willing to do anything—I don’t mind getting my hands dirty and helping out. When you have a busy night, you’re the director, and a great manager is directing everything and paying attention to every little detail, and that makes a difference.”
Libation: Sonic Boom Old-Fashioned
“I wear a lot of hats at Emporium and one of them is doing the bar program,” Funkhouser says. He helped put together the menu, which includes local draft beers and a large liquor selection, and even created the bar’s craft draft cocktails. There are four choices, like the Sonic Boom Old-Fashioned, mixed with Templeton rye whiskey, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, Solerno blood orange liqueur and cherry bark vanilla bitters. All the craft draft cocktails are made daily—and are so popular, multiple kegs are drained each night.
Benefit: Games include Killer Queens, Galaga, Street Fighter and more, and there’s also an awesome pinball collection.
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