From 747 Happy Hour to planning your holiday party, here’s why late summer is the perfect time to connect with The Aviator
By Mitch Allen
Late summer is an exciting time at The Aviator, Cleveland’s wildly popular restaurant, pub and event center. Altitude at The Aviator—the rooftop bar overlooking the runway at Cleveland Hopkins—is in its full summer glory, including the “Rockin’ on the Runway” music series, featuring live entertainment every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
If you haven’t enjoyed a summer cocktail with friends while aircraft fly just above your head, do it now. Altitude is open Monday through Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from noon to midnight, and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m.
You may also dine al fresco on The Aviator’s beautiful first-level brick patio, or enjoy lunch or dinner inside at the restaurant or the pub.
The 747 Happy Hour
The famed 747 Happy Hour has also become a hot spot for after-work gatherings. With so many people working from home at the crack of dawn in their pajamas, “after work” can mean “early afternoon.” That’s why The Aviator’s happy hour begins at 2 p.m.
“Every day, you accomplish a bunch of work—crossing things off your to-do list—and you deserve to relax at the end of the day,” says Khadar Soussou, The Aviator’s president and co-owner. “Our 747 Happy Hours offer delicious fare for just $7.47. Plus, you get to enjoy signature cocktails and a breathtaking view.”
The 747 Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 2-6 p.m., and Sunday 4 p.m. to close.
Holiday Parties
Of course, August is also the time when families and businesses start planning their holiday parties. “Holiday reservations are already starting to come in,” Khadar says. “We have different event spaces that can handle any size gathering—from a large banquet or reception to an intimate gathering of family and friends or a business’s top clients. And we can customize your event to meet your individual style or corporate culture.”
These different event spaces make it easy to accommodate your unique event, including the 6,000-square-foot, 400-person ballroom—known as the Flight Event Space—which overlooks Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and features a white marble dance floor beneath a custom Italian chandelier. Other event spaces include Gabriella, which accommodates up to 120 people; The oak wood Maria’s Place, which hosts any event for up 70 guests; and Sophia’s Room, perfect for holiday parties, family celebrations, bar and bat mitzvahs, showers, and corporate meetings of up to 40 people.
Planning Your Dream Wedding
Despite everything there is to see and do at The Aviator, it is perhaps best known as the region’s premier wedding venue. That reputation is rooted partly in the remarkable ambiance and partly in how easily and relaxing the team handles the complexities of a wedding reception. Everything you need to bring your dream wedding to life is right there, and every bride-to-be is assigned her own full-time wedding planner on-site from day one.
“You don’t have to hire a wedding planner,” Khadar says. “We give you one, and they are experienced, creative, they listen, and they know our facility inside and out. They’ll help you plan your day your way.”
The Aviator is known for being an all-inclusive venue. That means its team handles the set-up, decorations, food, the DJ, lighting, AV system, photo booths, the flowers, etc.—even indoor cold-spark fireworks. All you have to do is send out invitations and show up.
“Our brides love that about us,” Khadar says. “They don’t have to run around trying to hire different vendors to handle all that. We do it all right here in-house.”
More Venues Coming
There is yet more space in the works. Khadar and his team are hard at work preparing to open Via Roma, an event center, restaurant, and nightclub in the space occupied for many years by the legendary Carrie Cerino’s in North Royalton. The team is also transforming the former Michaud’s in Strongsville into Encore, a new event center with seven diverse spaces.
Meet the New Executive Chef
Bryan Thomas, 34, is the new executive chef at The Aviator. The Cleveland native attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh before moving to Miami, Florida, where he worked at some of the city’s hottest restaurants, including Mario Carbone’s Contessa, the two-floor glamorous dining destination serving award-winning cuisine in the heart of the Miami Design District.
He also worked at Fiola in Coral Gables, sharing the kitchen with the renowned Chef Fabio Trabocchi, who earned a Michelin Star at his Washington, D.C. location. “He held us to those same Michelin-Star standards,” Chef Bryan says.
The chef was born and raised in Cleveland, where he was inspired by his grandmother’s soul food—mac & cheese, greens, pork and beef roasts on Sundays, and fried catfish.
“I loved being in the kitchen with my grandmother,” he says. “My mother would buy me toys, but I would always end up playing with pots and pans in the kitchen. It’s so exciting to be back in Cleveland.”
Mimi will reveal Chef Bryan’s new menus soon, but don’t look for mac & cheese and fried catfish. He plans to go with more elevated and worldly cuisine, blending and highlighting the best of Italian, French, Mediterranean and American styles.
The Aviator Event Center & Pub is at 20920 Brookpark Road in Cleveland next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. For lunch or reservations or to schedule a tour of the facility, call 216-770-5300 or visit AviatorCLE.com.