Twelve years ago, New York native Rich Bonhomme came to a fork in the road. “I got my masters in TV, radio and film and was ... at Sirius XM for three years while working in Manhattan nightlife and then had the opportunity to make a left turn and stay in the TV, radio industry or make a right turn and go full-blown into nightlife,” he says. “And I made the right turn, and I’ve never made a U-turn since.”
In 2016, Bonhomme brought his nightlife savvy to Las Vegas, where he’s helped manage some of the city’s most popular venues, including Rehab, Omnia and Wet Republic. For the past two years he’s taken on the general manager role at CliQue Bar & Lounge at The Cosmopolitan. As the manager, Bonhomme oversees all operations and employees at CliQue—a venue that is a laid-back lounge during the day, but when night comes it turns into a dope hot spot with live DJs.
It’s evident when speaking with Bonhomme that he’s a hard worker and embraces the successful career he’s built for himself in the nightlife industry.
“I pretty much live here but that’s not a fault,” he says. “I feel you have to engulf your venues you’re in charge of so you know what’s going on at all times. Not to sound like I’m controlling, but you must eat, sleep, breathe your venues and the nature of it. And I’ve always embodied that from my first days in nightlife.
“You must be in the mix, you must speak to your guests, you have to have a pulse on the entire room in order to better your employees or your product.”
Libation: Up All Night
One of the coolest features at CliQue Bar & Lounge is its tableside mixology. Try the Up All Night for a real Instagram moment. The cocktail is mixed with Mount Gay rum, orgeat, lemon, ginger syrup, blackberries, strawberries and Peychaud’s Bitters, then topped with a sparkler!
Benefit: Definitely try the tableside mixology experience—pick a cocktail and pair it with house-made deep-fried Oreos.
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