A restored red London phone booth now sits at the entrance of 125 W. Orange Street in downtown Durham, and it's the only way in. Guests dial a nightly secret code into an antique rotary telephone inside the booth to unlock access to Red Phone Booth, a 1920s-themed craft cocktail and cigar lounge that has just opened as the brand's first North Carolina location.
No membership is required to get inside, but the code changes nightly and is typically passed along by members or local hotel concierges, according to ABC11. The setup mirrors the entrance mechanism described by Cigar Snob Magazine, which notes the phone booth serves as the centerpiece of the brand's signature experience nationwide. Those willing to pay for an annual membership get more than just easier entry — they gain reciprocal access to Red Phone Booth locations across the country, personalized cigar and liquor storage lockers, and admission to a private upper-level space called the Mafia Room.
A Dentist-Turned-Hospitality Investor
Behind the Durham location are two local co-investors, Dr. Ralph K. Mensah, a Chapel Hill-based biological dentist, and Dr. Michael A. Thomas, who grew up in Charlotte. The pair first met nearly 20 years ago as dental students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to the same report, before reconnecting decades later to bring the hospitality concept to Durham.
Mensah, who is also a Durham resident, said the lounge is designed as a destination for residents and visitors to celebrate milestones, build connections, and enjoy an elevated night out. He added that Durham values innovation while honoring its history, and said the lounge combines exceptional hospitality, timeless craftsmanship, and a distinctive atmosphere. Thomas said the venue offers a sophisticated gathering place complementing Durham's culinary, business, and cultural scene, and that investing in the concept contributes to the city's continued growth.
Inside the Two-Story Speakeasy
The interior leans heavily into its Prohibition-era theme, built with 100-year-old reclaimed textile mill brick, Italian leather seating, and a honey onyx bar, according to Midtown Magazine. Backlit ceiling panels were hand-painted by Christian Waggoner, an artist known for his Star Wars work, adding another layer of visual detail to the two-story space. The décor choices echo the sensory design standardized across the brand's other locations, which include Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, and Miami.
Beyond the cocktails and cigars, the lounge runs a full culinary and beverage program that includes more than 400 whiskeys and spirits, an extensive cocktail program rooted in classic recipes, and Neapolitan pizzas cooked in a 900-degree oven. The menu also features a signature Smoked Old Fashioned. Cigar offerings run deep too, with more than 150 premium cigars and hard-to-find spirits available on-site.
How Indoor Smoking Stays Legal
Indoor smoking is generally prohibited at commercial venues under North Carolina law, but cigar bars established after 2009 are exempt if they operate in a standalone structure, generate at least 60% of quarterly gross revenue from alcohol and 25% from cigars, and prevent smoke from migrating into adjoining spaces, per state statute N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-498. To meet air quality standards while still allowing indoor smoking, the Durham venue uses high-performance air scrubbing filtration and needlepoint bipolar ionization technology that cycles and turns over the indoor air more than 30 times per hour.
The lounge also enforces a strict dress code tied to its 1920s theme, requiring collared shirts, sports coats, or cocktail attire while turning away guests in athletic wear, baseball caps, or flip-flops. Hoodline covered a similar policy at the brand's flagship location in its 2017 rundown of Atlanta cocktail bars, which also detailed the original location's secret entrance and cigar lounge.
From Atlanta Original to National Expansion
Red Phone Booth was created in 2016 by founder Stephen de Haan under parent company Roaring Franchises, launching in downtown Atlanta as a reboot of a former speakeasy concept called Prohibition. Durham marks the chain's seventh location and its first in North Carolina. De Haan has said Durham was chosen in part because Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams had personally experienced and enjoyed the speakeasy concept at another one of the brand's locations before it arrived in his own city.
