The New 63 Social House & Eatery opens in former Rocky Rococo space in downtown Spokane

A downtown Spokane space formerly occupied by Rocky Rococo Pizza and Pasta has gained new life as a restaurant with an Asian-fusion concept.

A group of restaurant owners, who formed SA4 Restaurant Group Inc., on Monday opened The New 63 Social House & Eatery at 520 W. Main Ave.

“This part of Main Avenue is just super accessible. In this part of downtown, foot traffic is awesome,” said Casey Garland, director of operations and development for SA Group of Restaurants. “There’s a lot of other draws that will bring people downtown instead of just being strictly a destination restaurant, which is really nice.”

SA4 Restaurant Group is headed by Rakesh Kaushal and operating partners Hillary Yarno and Garland. The restaurateurs also operate The Mango Tree, The Pizza Co. and The Ref Sports Bar.

The New 63 Social House & Eatery’s menu features rice and soba bowls; pastas; salads and pizza. The restaurant also has a full-service bar with craft beers and cocktails.

“We knew we wanted to do things like rice bowls and noodle bowls, but also combine that with some more traditional comfort foods like wings,” Garland said.

The most popular menu items since opening include the Korean-cream cheese bread, wings, chicken-teriyaki rice bowls and pizza, Garland said.

After Rocky Rococo shuttered in 2020, the restaurant group’s Realtor suggested they take a look at the Main Avenue space.

“We just kind of fell in love with the bones of the place and the history of the building,” Garland said.

The New 63 Social House & Eatery’s name pays homage to the building’s past as a theater.

“Originally, it was the Ritz Theater when it first opened in the 1930s and 1940s. Then it became Cinema 63 for a while, which is where we took part of the name from because we wanted to have that tie to the past,” Garland said.

The restaurateurs signed a lease on the space in August 2021 and spent about six months on renovations, including repainting, updating kitchen equipment, installing new flooring and adding new seating, televisions and a lounge area, Garland said.

“My dad and I did the whole woodwork on the back bar,” Garland said. “That’s all brand new. Everyone … has been pretty blown away by the work we’ve done with the physical appearance.”

The New 63 Social House & Eatery currently has 12 employees with plans to hire additional workers as business picks up, Garland said.

He hopes the restaurant will attract foot traffic from both the lunchtime and service industry crowds.

The New 63 Social House & Eatery is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.