Michael Cornthwaite

Owner, Downtown Cocktail Room

Michael Cornthwaite is the owner of the Downtown Cocktail Room and co-owner of Emergency Arts and The Beat Coffeehouse & Records, Cornthwaite, a well- known downtown visionary, established Creative Nightlife Concepts (CNC), LLC in January of 2005. The first creation of CNC, Downtown Cocktail Room, opened in January 2007 and has been seen and featured in several exciting periodicals including: Imbibe, Maxim, Spin, GQ, Travel + Leisure, L.A. Times, NY Post, New York Times, and many others. It has received numerous awards including Food & Wine’s “Top 100 Bars.” It has also been seen on the Travel Channel and serves as the underground locals’ escape for an upscale speakeasy vibe and cocktail culture. Cornthwaite played an instrumental role in the creation of the “Fremont East Entertainment District” and currently sits as secretary on its board of directors. His latest work includes the co-creation, development and operation of Emergency Arts, a creative collective made up of over 35 tenants, for which he received the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for “Historic Preservation & Adaptive Reuse,” as well as The Beat Coffeehouse & Records, which has received numerous awards including “Best Coffeehouse.” Cornthwaite continues to act as a liaison for the city of Las Vegas and consultant for prospective business owners, including the Plaza Hotel.