CNY Scout

Play on, player

BY AMY BLEIER LONG

Three Lives, an esports bar on South Clinton Street in Armory Square, is creating a community IRL (in real life) around an activity based on virtual interaction — and taking a night out to the next level.

Esports is competitive video gaming and Three Lives owner Jon Page competed at the national level. He also has a background in the culinary industry and solidified his fine dining chops at Mirbeau and The Krebs. In 2018, Page was ready to strike out on his own. As he developed his business plan, he sought to build a social spot for people like him, a self-described introvert with extrovert tendencies. “This is an alternative night life,” he says.

Joining Page on his quest are his sister, investor and COO Nicole Page, Executive Chef Zach Cavallo and Bar Manager Josh DeSantis. They each bring a different set of skills: Nicole Page, a history of managing operations at startup restaurants and food-based businesses; Cavallo, years of catering and casual dining experience; and DeSantis, cocktail program development and bar management.

The menu is influenced by snack foods, but elevated. “It just takes that memory from when you [were] a kid and gives it this high-end spin,” says Cavallo, referencing the Dorito dust incorporated into some dishes and a Mountain Dew simple syrup for cocktails. Smashburgers and sausage heroes are the focus; all meat is ground in-house and veggies are pickled by Cavallo. The menu notes vegan options and burgers can be substituted with vegan alternatives. There is a dedicated gluten-free fryer, too. Above top, from left, Jon Page, Nicole Page, Zach Cavallo and Josh DeSantis with a DeLorean in front of the bar. Above, Cocktails such as the Potions are just one of the ways Three Lives creatively expresses their theme.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THREE LIVES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THREE LIVES, DON CAZENTRE, ANTHONY TRINGALE

The bar features mainstream and craft beers, including the on-brand Otter Creek Bonus Stage IPA with video game graphics on the can. DeSantis’ alcoholic Potions and mocktail Power Ups keep thirsts quenched. Each month, a suggested dish-and-drink pairing incorporating a common ingredient is themed around a specific game and featured as a Mortal Kombo.

Three Lives is gamifying the restaurant experience with interactive ways to engage with the bar: Roll a large-scale 20-sided dice to randomly select a shot. Find secret menu items or participate in taste tests by joining the bar’s Discord server.

A selection of 15 coin-operated arcade cabinets will rotate on and off the floor; Street Fighter II, Ms. Pac-Man and Contra are among the classic titles offered. Customers interested in console games can rent Xbox or PlayStation controllers at the bar, find their favorite titles and play alone, together or online. They plan to get the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so gamers can try out the latest tech. Esports tournaments will also be broadcast so fans can watch their favorite players.

Jon Page hopes Three Lives will foster connection among the local gaming community. Three Lives has a presence on Twitch and Discord, which are primarily content streaming and communication platforms, respectively. Through those, he affiliates the bar with local streamers and shares their content on the bar’s TVs so customers build recognition of each other. Future events include LAN (local area network) parties, in-house game tournaments, Discord Nights where people can chat with each other on-site and a streaming Twitch network to bring food, drinks and gaming onto one channel.

Opening a high-touch business in 2020 has not been easy: The day of the bar’s grand opening (August 19), the State Liquor Authority pressed pause on their ability to allow game play. In response, Three Lives successfully shifted to a sitdown restaurant. It is currently open Wednesday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight; the under-21 crowd is welcome until 9 p.m. The team acknowledges a silver lining: the pandemic let them build their brand, develop a following and reflect on how to create a casual place where customers really feel taken care of.

The Three Lives team wants visitors to find a place of connection and healing, whether they play video games or not. “It bridges that social gap that exists between different groups of people. I think especially during this time…we need that more than anything,” says Nicole Page. Her brother agrees: “We’re going to refill your heart meters so you can leave happy.” From top, a Pac Man Lemon-tini, the 1-Up Burger, retro-style arcade games, the exterior of the bar on S. Clinton Street. Three Lives is the first esports/arcade bar in our area.

For more information, visit Three Lives at 316 S. Clinton Street, Syracuse, 315-218-5001, threelivesbar.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Discord.

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