Downtown Decatur just got a little more vibrant. Roaring Social, a 1920s-themed speakeasy, celebrates its grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 18. Located on the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue, the exterior of the building is unsuspecting. A sign hanging from the old bank welcomes people into a place called Roso Treasury, but behind the doors is a hidden world that transports you to the prohibition era, where secret passcodes were keys, dimly lit rooms were juxtaposed with lively music and exuberant dancing, and illegality was embraced in exchange for flowing drinks.
Roaring Social Decatur is the second location of the entertainment concept by Competitive Social Ventures, following its Alpharetta location, which opened in 2021. Neil Freeman, CEO of Competitive Social Ventures, said he knew Decatur would be the next perfect location for Roaring Social because it “checked every box.”
The concept features dueling pianos, craft cocktails and bites, weekly live entertainment, and mini pin bowling, the latter of which saw a surge of popularity during the prohibition era. Every corner of the speakeasy is a love letter to that moment in time, from the peninsular bar to the design of the bank and the framed pictures of the past lining the walls.
“The speakeasy had its heyday in the 1920s, but my goal in life is to create places where people can come together, create lifetime memories over food and beverage and music,” Freeman said. “It all kind of came together, and it’s been so much fun.”…