We are a restaurant that seeks to do things “out of the norm” in our industry and be leaders amongst our competitors. “Social House” should be the first clue as to the experience we strive to create. On March 17, 2020, we closed our doors in compliance with emergency procedures, dictated by the State of California, in response to the Coronavirus and the need to practice “Social Distancing”. The ve
ry concept of Social Distancing contradicts our name as a Social House, but we are not ready to drop “Social” from our name, in fact, we believe that more than ever, we need to lead the way in providing a safe place for our guests to meet their most basic desires for human interaction. Fortunately, when we closed, we were one of the most respected and profitable restaurants in our area- just weeks before our closure we attended the annual Best of the Valley Awards, where we were nominated in 4 categories - People’s Choice, Friendly Faces, Best Kept Secret and Restaurateur of the Year. As we’ve endured the last few months, we’ve taken pause to reflect not only on how best to navigate through these new normals, but also our foundation and mission as a Social House. From our beginning, we have never wanted to be seen as just a restaurant. While we’ve always been determined to serve both fresh and tasty food and drinks, and source as much as we can locally, being a Social House has always, at our core, been about creating an environment where people can socially connect. We believe that our hunger to connect is as fundamental as our hunger to eat, and research shows that the more we eat with others, the more likely we are to feel happy and satisfied with our lives. Frankly, eating together may very well be the quintessential human experience. In wanting to recognize, and celebrate, the healing properties that eating and connecting with one another brings, the concept of Social Therapy emerged. Social Therapy is an environment and experience that’s rooted in the belief that having a meal with others does more than satisfy physical appetites, it also satisfies the craving for connection; it’s about drawing people together, focusing on the well-being of others and providing social nourishment. From our environment, to the food and beverages enjoyed and the people it’s all enjoyed with - they all merge and culminate to provide Social Therapy. While Social Therapy may be a new Colton’s tagline, but it describes the experience we’ve always striven to create; it is a new way to define Colton’s mission, focus and culture. Helping coordinate and contribute to our environment of Social Therapy are Colton’s employees, or who we now call our Social Therapists. Our Social Therapists are trained and skilled in not only the logistics of Colton’s in their various roles and departments, but also in recognizing the importance of socialness and facilitating connections.
