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Peter Roth:I opened my first cigar kiosk inside the Park Meadows Mall right after 9/11. Mall rents were high, and while we were killing it, I decided to leave the safety of the mall to start my own cigar store and add a bar. When I found this location, I knew that was the perfect spot. Nine years later, things are great.Westword: What environment/atmosphere does Robusto Room have?
I like to call my place a post-modern cigar bar. There's nothing conventional about it at all. It doesn't fit the stereotypical mold of a cigar bar. We have DJs, we throw fun events, and we cater to everyone from their twenties to their fifties.
What is your connection to the '80s? What do you like about the '80s?
I grew up in the '80s, so it's definitely my childhood generation. The things I remember from the '80s are from the perspective of a child. My favorite thing about the '80s would have to be the music, especially INXS and Depeche Mode. I would do just about anything to see Depeche Mode live.
What is your favorite song and film from the 1980s?My favorite movie is obviously Fast Times at Ridgemont High. My old dog was a pug and he always had this glazed-over look on his face, like a stoner trying to figure out calculus. His name was Zoli and I just called him Zoli-Spicoli, or just plain old Spicoli for short. My favorite song is Depeche Mode's "Policy of Truth." That's definitely the track that I sing in the car like a complete fool when it comes on.
What is your favorite fashion trend from the '80s?
Nothing good, fashion-wise, came out of the '80s. I thought it was all hideous even back then. It's interesting how some of the worst trends have made a comeback. What happened in the '80s should stay in the '80s.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We take our our air -guitar and lip-syncing competitions very seriously. So if you plan on participating, you better wear your game face and break a sweat for the audience -- or you might get 86'd!
The party, which starts at 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, will feature free '80s sunglasses for all guests. The event is sponsored by Revolver: A Salon, which will be styling complimentary '80s hair up-dos and blowouts all night long. There will be a lip-syncing contest, and the winner gets a $100 gift card. There will also be air guitar, moon-walking and hackey-sack contests; those winners will receive $50 cards to Robusto Room. And everyone dressed in '80s fashion is automatically entered to win a $100 gift card. Call the Robusto Room at 303-669-7684 for more details or to reserve a table; find more information here.
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