New York Design Week Opening Party

NYCxDesign is a non-profit organization committed to uniting, advancing, and strengthening New York City’s vibrant design community. As the official host of New York Design Week, they bring together the city's diverse and global design voices.

This year, we brought our signature food x design concept to their opening night party at The Refinery at Domino Sugar Factory - with a night full of immersive pop-ups, bold bites, and unforgettable cocktails.

Location: The Refinery at Domino Sugar Factory

Attendance: 300 guests

• Highlight the design aspect of food

• Curate a menu that showcases Pinch’s signature style and design-forward presentation

• Create a food and beverage experience that stays exciting from start to finish.

We teamed up with NYCxDesign to craft an immersive flavor-meets-design journey that wowed guests throughout the evening.

• Interactive cocktail and wine bars: We set up three different bar moments throughout the space, on one side the Cocktail Fountain flowed with a tequila blossom cocktail, the Self-Stirred Bar went round and round with a whiskey yuzu cocktail, and the Wine Balloons served classic red and whites.  

• Rotating food pop-up moments: WOWing guests with every bite! The pop-ups for the party included; the Orbit serving chiles en nogada,the Pizza Box with a burrata spinach pizza combo, the Mobile with our crispy potato sandwiches, the Coast with our famous chicken and broccoli buns, the Spoons serving espresso and chocolate timami-choux, and much more.

Three distinct bar setups kept the drinks - and the design - flowing:

• Cocktail Fountain: A continuous pour of tequila blossom with aloe, orange blossom, and celery bitters

• Self-Stirred Bar: A whimsical + functional whiskey yuzu cocktail spinning into your glass

• Wine Balloons: Playful pours of red and white wine suspended in midair

We kept the surprises coming with a series of live pop-up moments, each one more interactive than the next:

• The Orbit: Chiles en nogada with dried fruit, nuts, and salsa verde

• The Pizza Box: Tomato pizza sandwiches with burrata and spinach

• The Mobile: Crispy potato sandwiches in three inventive flavor combos

• The Coast: Five-spice chicken buns with Chinese BBQ sauce

• The Spoons: Tirami-choux with espresso, chocolate, and cappuccino cream …and more surprise bites throughout the evening.

• Cocktail Fountain – Tequila Blossom: Tequila, aloe water, orange blossom, lemon celery bitters

• Self-Stirred Bar – Take Me to Japan: Whiskey, yuzu + apple juice, lime, demerara syrup

• Wine Balloons – Classic red + white wines, served the Pinch way

• The Coast – Five-spice chicken steamed buns with Chinese BBQ sauce + a vegan broccoli option

• The Orbit – Chiles en Nogada: Dried fruit, walnuts + almonds, salsa verde tortilla

• Pizza Party – Pizza sandwiches: Tomato pizza with burrata + spinach

• The UFO – Rutabaga tempura, raspberry, crispy rosemary, orange blossom agave

• The Mobile – Crispy potato sandwiches in three flavors: Purple potato, miso butter, sea urchin. Carrot potato, pecorino, olive. Beet potato, bacon, ranch

• The Monkey Bar – Red velvet monkey cookies

• The Spoons – Tirami-choux: Espresso, chocolate, and cappuccino crème

The New York Design Week opening party was a vibrant celebration of food and design. Through elevated flavors, immersive formats, and unexpected moments, we transported guests into a world where creativity could be tasted, seen, and experienced.

Check out the Opening Party Reel!