How the company behind the bar Death & Co becomes a global brand

That led to the creation of Gin & Luck, the bar's umbrella company, which launched in 2018. According to David Kaplan, who founded Death & Co in 2008 and is now CEO of Gin & Luck, the idea is to “create a unified hotel landscape where we can do all of this entrepreneurial activity – all of our Death & Co growth – could unite under one company.”

This includes the opening of additional Death & Co locations over the next year, as well as a new chain of cocktail bars called Close Company. This also includes retail opportunities such as an online marketplace, a bookstore and an e-learning platform.

Kaplan joined the Modern Retail Podcast this week to talk about how he's approaching the transformation of a popular bar into a global business.

Although there are many different parts of the business, the bars are still the core. “Our primary economic drivers – and the focus of our business – are really our brick-and-mortar stores,” he said.

Nevertheless, the other areas are also crucial for the growth of Gin & Luck. “Everything else we do – our marketplace, even our social networks, the books, the ready-to-drink cocktails, we're working on a new educational platform – all of those things we consider largely true.” “A standalone company,” he said. “So it can’t just be a loss leader for us.”

Here are some highlights from the conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

Expand beyond death and co
“Our primary economic drivers – and the focus of our business – are really our brick-and-mortar stores. And today we have four Death & Co doors… Next year we will be adding a new brand called Close Company. We will be opening Close Company in Nashville, Atlanta [and] A great and exciting licensing deal in Las Vegas for Close Company. And then Death & Co Seattle will also be opening a new hotel in collaboration with Ryan Diggins, the owner of the Ramble Hotel, where Death & Co Denver is located. In full partnership, we will manage the F&B at this hotel, but actually participate in the entire hotel ecosystem. That being said, all of the things I just listed – even though there are a lot of them – are still cocktail-focused, cocktail-anchored hospitality. His operations. Everything else we do – our marketplace, even our social networks, the books, the ready-to-drink cocktails, we're working on a new education platform – all of these things, for the most part, we view as separate businesses. So it can’t just be a loss leader for us.”

How all brands work together
“We're not going to create a completely crazy world full of brands. We try to really focus on that. That's why we're creating a new brand that we will fully own and control: Close Company. So Close Company is different from Death & Co. in many ways. We see an opportunity for Close Company to penetrate a variety of different markets that aren't quite suitable for Death & Co. We believe that Death & Co lives in what I call “marquee cities” and “marquee markets.” So Seattle, Chicago, Miami, possibly Boston. There are a handful of other cities in the US where we want to grow, including Toronto and possibly Mexico City. [It’s] In international comparison, the number is of course larger. But these are flagship cities, so to speak. Close Company is a little more of a twist on some spots we've done before… It's a little more of a fun neighborhood cocktail bar, super approachable; and a bit more to maximize efficiency. I don't want to say it's a loud bar – nothing like that, because it still feels like a fun and relaxing place. But [it’s] Just in many ways a little more accessible than “Death & Co.”

The thesis behind the e-learning platform
“We are really excited about this educational platform. I see it as the next step for the books to bring the books to life in a multidimensional way. At its core, it is an online e-learning platform. However, we are building some other aspects of it. How is this educational space brought to life through events? Through face-to-face teaching? We're also looking forward to working on what I think is a very cool AI part of it. And that's not the cornerstone – we're not trying to get into the trend or the future of AI… I should say: part of this e-learning platform that really excites me is the community aspect. So, the digital online community – we don't have a meeting place for people at the moment. At the moment the relationship with Death & Co, if a customer has one, is pretty one-sided. You follow us on Instagram, you go to the bars. So there is no good mutual relationship. That's why we're looking at ways we can change that by publishing more content and creating more community spaces. And I think the educational platform is going to be really exciting.”