LOS ANGELES- Once the Fall season hits, the leaves turn orange, the sun sets at 5 p.m., and LA locals bring out their jackets as the weather cools to a crisp 70 degrees. However, for baseball fans, the autumn season marks the turning of a new leaf for their favorite baseball teams as their 26-player rosters compete in MLB’s postseason race to become World Series champions.
Dodgers fans, in particular, are no strangers to October baseball as the Boys In Blue head into the playoffs with back to back World Series wins in 2024 and 2025. Hank Chilton, a seasoned television writer, producer, and lifelong Dodgers fan is gearing up for the postseason in a different way this year, in the form of a sports bar. “I had this idea and I told someone. He ran with it and called Pantone [294]. As soon as they were on board, I was like “I am really doing this? This is a really big pivot from what I’m doing, but then I realized it checked off many boxes from me.”
Chilton is teaming up with Alex Soto, founder of Pantone 294, the largest Dodger fan organization, to open a new Dodgers themed sports bar called The Ravine Club. The name is a nod to Chavez Ravine and a play on the different “clubs” at Dodger Stadium for fans willing to pay a premium price, but here they will cater to all fans.
The Ravine Club will replace Button Mash, a bar-cade in Silverlake near 1000 Vin Scully Ave., which closed in September 2024, just a few days before the Dodgers started the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. Chilton knew that it would be the perfect location for his first venture into the restaurant business after two decades in the television business writing and producing shows such as “Covert Affairs”, “Ash Vs. Evil Dead”, and “Nip/Tuck”.
“I was like “I am really doing this? This is a really big pivot from what I’m doing, but then I realized it checked off many boxes from me,” Chilton said.
Being a new restaurant owner is exciting, but brings specific challenges, such as figuring out the vendors, payroll, and how to price food. Luckily, Chilton and Soto have Taylor Parsons and David Rosoff, co-founders of Whole Cluster Hospitality who serve as consultants in beverage and operation. Along with Parsons and Rosoff on their team, they also have Chef Hugo Sanchez as their lead off hitter in the back of the house. As head chef, Sanchez will make delicious gourmet and smash burgers, steak, tacos, and salad to name a few items.
“We’re trying to provide food that people want to eat at a responsible price with good value that tastes delicious and a place they feel comfortable in,” he said.
When you think of a sports bar, what comes to mind first? Probably the rowdy patrons rooting for their teams or the tight space environment of trying to find a seat. But The Ravine Club will be a sports bar welcoming fans of different sports, different teams, and overall be a community where people can gather for a bite surrounded by plenty of memorabilia bringing in comfort and warmth.
At The Ravine Club, the 20 TVs will feature many different games, so if you’re worried about missing a Dodgers playoff game when the Lakers start their season, no need to fret. Front of house will have three separate audio areas while the bar will have 11 TVs behind the counter and play seven different games. However, the 145-inch screen will always carry the marquee event.
“We want to be part of the community. We want to welcome people in. We want to be a place for families of all teams to watch, not just the Dodgers,” Chilton said, explaining the space is more about sportsmanship rather than who wins.
Looking ahead, Chilton hopes to open up the space to having alternate programming such as trivia nights, watch parties for shows such as Love Island and The Bachelor for example, and even movie nights. This new sports bar is more than an average sports bar. It looks to bring in a community of all ages and sports.
The Ravine Club will be open some time this October. For more updates, follow @theravineclub on Instagram.
