SOG is Santiago Open Gourmet, a unique gourmet project in Santiago. An open space of more than 6,000 square meters and glass ceiling. It was designed by Enrique Concha, and it is a place where fresh air and natural light meet. It is located in one of the main business districts of the city, Kennedy Avenue and Rosario Norte, specifically on the fourth floor of the Open Plaza Kennedy shopping mall.
How was the project conceived?
At first it was a totally different concept, we wanted to make slow food accessible at an affordable price, but along the way we realized that we could do something different from the traditional boulevards or food courts that exist in Chile. I was lucky enough to travel around Europe and, in 2017, while we were negotiating with Decathlon, I came across to what was happening in Madrid, or New York, where this trend is actually an experience; a great market that allows you to eat on the spot, but at the same time you can take the products you liked home. They are lively spaces, where things happen. There, you can live your daily life and enjoy it independently from the shopping mall.
How is this market experience reflected in SOG?
"There are about 6,000 square meters dedicated to gastronomy. There are 14 restaurants where the main operator is Andrés Belfus, from the Mil Sabores Group, the main gastronomic entrepreneur in Chile. You will find an enclosed space with tables to share and an open space with a terrace, more casual if you like. In the heart of SOG there are three restaurants, Siete Cortes, La Piazza and Mesón Marinero. The beauty of these places is that, just like Eataly in New York, they have large counters where you can choose the cut of meat you want to eat on the spot, or order it to cook at home. You will also find condiment bars, pastas, books and cooking utensils, everything to recreate the experience at home. We are also working on a mobile kitchen where renowned chefs will be teaching visitors lessons. Nothing too complicated, things that can be done at home.
In terms of infrastructure, what is the SOG experience like?
"It is a totally different space from what currently exists. The interior design was in charge of Enrique Concha and Grupo Arquitectos. They have an exquisite sensitivity and have managed to create iconic and unique spaces, such as the Latam VIP at the airport or the Mandarin Oriental hotel. SOG is an open space, which you access independently without the need to walk into the shopping mall.
There will also be a circular stage, designed by Grupo Piedra, and light, which is essential in SOG. Grupo Piedra is the same team that has been in charge of the scenography of the Colón theater in Buenos Aires. We seek to create an atmosphere that allows the entrance of natural light, but also to play with it, for example, turning night into day. In addition to this, there will be live musicians of the highest level, as well as a daily show with music by Tweety González, an Argentine musician and producer who worked with Soda Stereo".
And a giant screen…
"Indeed, it is a screen of 120 linear meters, the largest in Latin America. Of course, it is a totally different experience, no football games or movies will be shown there. The screen comes to complement the SOG experience and has a program specially designed for it. You will be able to see clouds, nature, a whale under the sea. It's a totally different concept from what has been used before.
Will there be any gastronomic gems?
"There will be 14 restaurants of different sizes and a very different proposal among them. Eight are run by the Mil Sabores Group, so you will find the Nikkei cuisine of El Japonés, but also other restaurants that had not operated in Chile before, such as Vegan Junk Food, a totally vegan restaurant with a unique aesthetic that is sure to attract attention and where you can have a delicious vegan burger. SOG's proposal is accessible, a 3.0 that allows you to meet, look at each other and have fun. You will be able to have a mid-morning sandwich or share a good time with friends at night. Chicken Love You, the fried chicken sandwiches by "Pipe" Sanchez, is another of the innovative bets you will find here. A more disruptive option, some may say, and we like that.
Will it be necessary to go through Open Plaza Kennedy to enter SOG?
No! SOG represents the crowning of a project that is Open Plaza Kennedy, but it is an independent space, with six entrances. You can reach the place on foot or using the mall's parking lots if you wish to do so. It is a unique gastronomic space, located in one of the most important business districts of Santiago, the commercial mecca of Chile, but it works with its own dynamics. It has all the benefits of a shopping mall, parking lots, accessibility, but no one forces you to go through the mall. At SOG you define your own experience, that is part of SOG's DNA.
