Kitchen Doors: Carry On Takes Off 

Cocktail bar celebrates the glamour and nostalgia of air travel

Pretty Decent Concepts, which owns several Arizona restaurants and bars with more planned in 2025, opened Carry On, an airline-themed cocktail bar in downtown Phoenix in November 2024. Carry On is designed to transport visitors to the elegance of 1960s and early 1970s air travel, complete with leather seats, uniformed flight attendants, simulated airplane windows and pilot announcements.

“In the 1960s, air travel was part of the excitement that came with going to a new destination,” said Teddy Myers, founder of Pretty Decent Concepts. “People actually dressed up for flights, and the act of boarding a plane felt glamorous, enticing and exclusive. We are bringing that atmosphere back to life with this new concept. We wanted to create an immersive experience from a bygone era that you can’t experience anymore.”

Carry On’s inaugural flight takes passengers from San Francisco to Mexico City, complete with city views and food and cocktail options that highlight these cities. Destinations will be changed annually.

“We chose these destinations because they are great cocktail cities and home to some of the best bars in the world,” Myers said.

Tickets include a reserved seat, a welcome cocktail and chef-driven snacks with flavors from the destinations, including rojo and verde peanuts to represent Mexico City and shortbread dipped in Ghirardelli chocolate from San Francisco. A four-course tasting menu features light bites inspired by the era, such as lobster arancini and Oaxacan mole with filet crostini.

The cocktail menu includes elevated versions of classics like Pink Squirrel, Tequila Sunrise and Rusty Nail, as well as cocktails incorporating local ingredients from the featured destinations. The cocktails are created by Pretty Decent Concepts’ beverage director, Jax Donahue, who was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for his work at Carry On.

There are also nonalcoholic selections, including versions of a pomegranate martini and a jasmine yuzu highball, as well as tableside martinis, and beer, wine and spirits from the minibar.

“We’ve created an intimate experience in a fun and engaging environment where guests can connect and enjoy serious cocktails,” Myers said. “We’re in hospitality, so the customer experience is very important to us.”

To learn more, visit carryonphx.com.