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'Lunch Rocks' to Host Midday Dance Parties in Flatiron District

By Mary Johnson | October 15, 2012 2:22pm

FLATIRON — Now you can have your club and eat it, too.

Partygoers looking to take their noontime breaks to a whole new level can put on their dancing shoes this Thursday in the Flatiron District as part of a new lunchtime party.

The new company Lunch Rocks is hosting its first-ever midday dance party at The Caulfield, on East 27th Street between Lexington and Park avenues, starting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Lunch Rocks features flash dance parties that gives cubicle-dwellers a chance to dance in their midday breaks,” said Amanda Tan, 28, one of the co-founders of Lunch Rocks, an event management company.

Tan developed the concept with her business partner, Thomas Rudy, based on their past experiences working in "corporate America" and trying to find an entertaining escape from the office in the middle of the day.

“Every day, the dreaded question is, ‘What are you having for lunch?’” Tan said. “We’d rather just not have our lunches eating at our desks or at the regular restaurants we go to.”

Rudy, 31, who used to be a banker, confessed that he and some of his coworkers would often wander into a nearby Abercrombie & Fitch store where the music was always cranked up to experience some midday action during lunch breaks.

“You know parties are something that usually happen at night," Rudy said, "and we wanted to transform it into a daytime event."

The concept is similar to Lunch Beats LIC, a lunchtime disco party that launched in Long Island City this past summer, though Rudy and Tan said their concept aims to be more urban and energetic.

Lunch Rocks will be held at venues that serve alcohol, and although the cofounders don’t expect many people to imbibe, guests will have the option to grab a drink while they hit the dance floor.

Each Lunch Rocks event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., with the inaugural dance party expected to attract some 100 people, organizers said. DJs from some of New York City’s hottest clubs will provide the music, and patrons will receive a boxed lunch containing a sandwich, chips, fruit and dessert.

The cost for all of the above is $15 per person.

“People spend that much for lunch anyway,” Tan noted. “You might as well have it in a nice environment.”

Tan and Rudy said they are focusing the Lunch Rocks concept on Midtown for now, with plans to host lunchtime dance parties twice a month at a variety of locations in the area.

They also envision a future expansion into other Manhattan neighborhoods, if demand allows.

“Our mission is really to promote a healthy lifestyle,” Tan explained. “We just really want to inspire workers to get away from their cubicles.”

The inaugural Lunch Rocks event will be held Thursday at The Caulfield, at 119 E. 27th St. Tickets are available online or at the door.