Encore began with a simple belief: that food and drink have a quiet way of bringing people together.

I’ve spent much of my adult life around those moments. Rooms where people settle in, conversations stretch a little longer than planned, and connections form almost without anyone noticing. Over time, I came to understand how much the setting matters. The room. The timing. The feeling that you don’t need to rush.

That understanding grew while living in Playhouse Square, which has been home for me for the past six years and still is. I’ve watched the district change its energy night after night. The sidewalks filling before curtain. The marquees lighting up. The calm that settles in once a show lets out. Being immersed in that rhythm shaped how I think about gathering and presence.

There’s also a personal layer to it. Over the years, I’ve watched my brother perform on these stages many times, most recently as the lead in Life of Pi and in several Great Lakes Theater productions. Sitting in the audience and seeing the work, vulnerability, and care behind each performance changed how I think about attention and intention. It made me want to build a space that respected that same sense of craft.

All of that led to Encore.

What started in 2021 as a raw cement space with no electricity or plumbing slowly became an intimate room with just 40 seats. From the beginning, the goal was simple: create a place that feels warm the moment you sit down. Thoughtful cocktails paired with small bites, designed to work together. A room that encourages you to slow down and stay a little longer.

Encore is meant to fit naturally into an evening in Playhouse Square. Before a show. After a show. Or for a night out on its own. It lives just steps from the marquees that inspired it and is rooted in the district it calls home.

I hope Encore becomes a place you return to over time. A room that feels familiar, welcoming, and worthy of the neighborhood around it.

We look forward to welcoming you.

- Abbas