A horizontal feature image of a diner filled with people sitting in classic booths. Right in front of the camera are two men sitting across from each other while having a conversation. The booth seats are red and the table is off-white and set with orange Whalebone magazines. Six large, glowing orb lights are hanging in a horizontal row from the ceiling and bathing the room in a soft orange/yellow glow. The wall in the background is covered in floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Breakfast Issue

A whole lotta BECs

A look at the Whalebone Breakfast Diner Pop-Up

All photos courtesy of Ian Cooke

Breakfast was served. Even for lunch and for dinner. In celebration of The Breakfast Issue of Whalebone Magazine, we decided to get into the breakfast business. Teaming up with the folks at Soho Diner in downtown NYC, Whalebone popped up with the B.E.C. for a few days of breakfasts, dinners, free sammies, parties and more. 

No worries if you weren’t able to make it. Though it may not smell or taste quite as good, here’s a nice little look into the kitchen of how things went with our friends at Martinelli’s, Dos Hombres, Onyx Coffee Lab, and Tif’s Spiked. Order up.

Image of a rectangular, orange sign resting on the ground next the open glass door of a diner
Semi-aerial image of a breakfast meal with orange whalebone magazines scattered to the left, a heaping plate full of fries, eggs, and mixed greens, a menu to the left of the plate, forks and knives setting the right of the plate. a short rounded bottle of Martinelli's apple juice in front of the plate to the right and a tall green bottle of Martinelli's apple juice resting on the edge of a napkin.
Close-up, focused image of a small rounded bottle full of golden Martinelli's apple juice in front of a tall green bottle of Martinelli's apple juice with a foil wrapped neck. Both bottles are resting on a diner bar with napkins and coffee ups behind them as well as the back of the bar visible in the background.
Image of the front glass window of the Soho x Whalebone diner. On the window is the word "DINER" curved like a rainbow. The entrance to the diner is to the left of the window separated by a metal pillar and a green bush is sitting in front of the window.
A straight-on image of a red, diner-style booth seat. The table is in-line with the camera and a yellow chair is slightly visible at the bottom of the image. A champagne flute filled to the brim with a light yellow beverage is on the table, topped with a lemon wedge. To the left of the flute is a knife and fork table setting, a white coffee mug with blue stripes, turned upside down, and a sugar dispenser.
A close-up, focused image of a small, light pink rectangular sign. The sign is standing in front of a panel of reflective shop windows.
Image of a full breakfast setting on a diner bar. Resting on the bar are utensils wrapped in a napkin, a plate full of eggs, fries, and mixed greens and a small roundd bottle of golden Martinelli's apple juice. Next to the small bottle is a taller green bottle of Martinelli's apple juice with a foil-wrapped neck. Behind the bar is a man in a blue shirt preparing drinks and a full bar with a mirror and three shelves of bottles.

Day 1: The Breakfast Issue Release Party presented by Martinelli’s

A good old-fashioned issue release party, but this time add apple juice. Over 100 guests came out to bring The Breakfast Issue to life at the Soho Diner. Vibes were immaculate and excitement was high with enthusiasm surrounding the issue and the nostalgia for Martinelli’s apple juice and sparkling cider. The night was filled with music, dancing ice cold apple juice, with a number of guests taking bottles home with them. DJ William Grand kept the night young with some of the better tunes that kept the dance floor full, with Martinelli’s, Dos Hombres and Onyx Coffee helping to keep drinks full and flowing. This one really kicked off the diner takeover on the right foot.

Image of a vertical orange sign resting on the ground in front of a glass window diner entrance. Standing up next to the sign is a black skateboard with a red stripe. The lights in the diner give an orange-yellow glow to the entire image.
An image of four people standing in a non-uniform line in the middle of giving a toast. From left to right, a woman with ling brown hair raising a glass, a man in a white shirt and baseball hat holding a drink, a young boy in a long-sleeve white shirt and a black ball cap, a man with dark hair wearing a flannel and a white shirt, and a man iin a dark grey shirt and a ball cap in there middle of giving a toast. A large yellow orb-light is in the left-hand corner and a large window is behind the group of people.
A dimly-lit aerial image of two table settings across from each other. Each table setting includes an orange Whalebone magazine, a long rectangular menu, and a small orange matchbox with a smiley face on it. aThe matchbox. Between the two place settings is a small bouquet of yellow and purple flowers. The table is of-white.
An image taken from just above table level of a diner booth with a window in the background. On the outside of the window is a light pink/purple LED sign that says "Soho Diner" in cursive letters. The sign is also little by an electric aqua blue LED light on the bottom ,giving and ombre effect of purple to blue. The inside of the window is covered with blinds. The table and chairs are an off-white/beige and the table is set for two with a small bouquet of yellow and purple flowers in the center.
A dimly little close-up image of a table setting. The table is set with a small glass tea light, salt and pepper, and a small orange specials card. Each place setting includes an orange Whalebone magazine with a rectangular white menu on top. In between the two place settings is a shallow, wide-rimmed martini glass filled with a dark brown beverage and topped with a layer of beige foam. next to the glass is a small yellow tea light and an empty glass turned upside down.
A table-level image of a diner bar with a hanging lamp overhead. Two place settings comprised of an orange Whalebone magazine and a white rectangular menu sit on the off-white bar. Behind the bar is a black letter board of menu items and an array of ingredients and aqua and light purple cabinets.
An image taken from the corner of a diner filled with people sitting booths. The diner is illuminated dimly with large, round orb-like lights hanging from the ceiling dispersed throughout the room. The ceiling go the diner is orange and large windows line the walls.
An image taken from table level of a two women and two young girls sitting in a diner booth with dim orange lighting. Two large black, semi-transparent glass bottles are sitting on the table along with place settings and orange whalebone magazines.
A view from the corner of an empty diner filled with grid-like booths with red sears and table settings. Large orb lights line the orange ceiling and the wall is filled with ceiling to floor windows. Behind one of the windows is a purple and blue LED sign that shines through the window into the room.
A close up image of two men sitting as a diner booth with. One man is smiling as he talks to the other man whose back is to the camera.
A close up image of a man and a woman leaning on a diner bar and talking. The woman's back is facing the camera and the man is smiling with his hand resting on his forehead and his elbow resting on the bar. A full glass of light yellow liquid sits in front go the man and a white and blue can of beer sits in front of the woman.

Day 2: VIP Dinner presented by Onyx Coffee Lab

Breakfast for dinner is one of the finer things in life. VIP guests came to the Soho Diner for an intimate dinner surrounding The Breakfast Issue and the Whalebone pop up. The meals were great, the coffee was hot and everyone was having a great time flipping through the issue and enjoying the company. Drinks were flowing with a mix of Martinelli’s apple juice, Dos Hombres Mezcal and Onyx Coffee. Most important meal of the day, no matter what time.

Day 3: World BEC Day

To bring some delight to the people of New York City, Whalebone delivered 100 bacon-egg-and-cheeses around the city, sent from those in our audience who wanted to make someone’s day. Hopping on our bikes, we packed up our delivery bags and pedaled to each location to deliver breakfast and a smile. The excitement from senders and recipients were through the roof, plus the sandwiches were pretty damn good.

Day 4: Dinner with Accidentally Wes Anderson

In celebration of our pals at Accidentally Wes Anderson putting out their new postcard book, we put on a nice and not-so-little dinner at the diner with more than 200 guests coming out to meet and greet the AWA crew. Fans of both Whalebone and AWA came to support both brands, spending a lot of time with the Accidentally Wes Anderson feature in The Breakfast Issue and picking the brains of Wally and the team. Lots of folks said this was one of their favorite events of the year. Send a postcard if you’ve got one.

A portrait image taken with flash of a male bartender with a dark goatee and mustache smiling as he hands the photographer a large glass filled with a salmon-colored drink and topped with a lemon wedge across the bar. The bartender is wearing a black button down shirt and has a light blue badge on his finger. The bar is covered with glasses and beer cans. In the background, behind the bar is lined with lots of alcohol bottles. People are sitting on the other side of the bar in the dimly lit background.
A close up image of a white cocktail menu standing up in a black picture frame on an off-white table. A bowl of oranges, pink grapefruits, green limes, and yellow lemons is in the background behind the menu to the right. In front go the menu to the right is a small whiskey glass filled with an orange drink and topped with a lemon wedge. In the foreground to the left, the tops of three Whalebone magazine covers are fanned out.
An image taken with flash of a group of five people huddled together and smiling. The two women on the left and right ends are dress in white knee-high socks with scarlet red bows on the tops and white mini dresses covered in multi-colored polka dots and red ribbon details. One of the woman is holding a drink. The two men in the center are wearing wigs, one gray with long hair and one blonde with long hair and glasses. The woman in the front center is wearing a white dress stained with blood and a black jacket.
An image taken with flash of a dancing crowd. The man in the center is smiling and raising a drink. He is dressed as a yellow sunflower with green clothes on and a yellow flower petal head band.
And image taken with flash of a male server's profile. The server is standing tall and straight while wearing a white t shirt with black writing and black lined sleeves. The back of the man is visible in the mirrored wall that he is standing against. The man is holding a tray full of full glasses with golden yellow drinks. The background is very dark with a red hue.
An image taken with flash of crowd is dancing around a person dancing in the corner while wearing a black suit, a bald cap, and sunglasses and holding a drink. The woman closet to the camera is holding up her phone to talk e a video. She is wearing a red dress and a red headband. A DJ in the backgrounds wearing a light aqua, long-haired wig and a red suit while playing music on the sound black sound deck in front of him.
A close-up image taken with flash of a man and a woman dressed up as minions. They are both wearing marigold yellow, long-sleeve shirts with denim blue overalls that have a black symbol on the front. The man is standing behind the woman and wearing black sunglasses. The woman is wearing black framed glasses and standing in front of the man while drinking deeply from her white beer can.
An image taken with flash of three men dressed up in costumes standing up on the red cushioned seats of diner booths. The men are leaning together and smiling for the camera. The man to the right is dressed up as The Joker with a white painted face, shadowed eyes, green hair, and a red ruffled suit. The man in the center is holding a drink in each hand and is dressed up as a cowboy in jeans, a beige and blue flannel shirt, and a cowboy hat on his back that is hanging from his neck. The man to the left is dressed up as John Travolta from "Pulp Fiction". He has long black hair tied in a low pony tail and is wearing a white dress shirt, black dress pants, and a bolo tie around his neck.
An image of a DJ with a black sounds board and a grey Mac computer in front of him. The DJ is dressed up as Beetlejuice and is wearing a light aqua long-haired wig, white and black face paint, and a bright red suit. The man is holding his hands out in presentation. In the bottom right corner, a girl in a bright feather red dress holding a white beer can is partially visible.
An image taken of a diner lit lowly by a harsh red light. Large red orbs hang from the sealing as lights along with fake bats. Windows lines the walls and the booths are setup in a grid-like fashion. Three Whalebone magazines hang from the back of the closest booth.
An image taken with flash from the end of the bar. The backside of the bar is filled with alcohol bottles and a bartender is in the middle of pouring a drink. The bar is lit by a line of pink lamps hanging from the ceiling in a straight line. A crowd of people are gathered on the frontside of the bar.
An image taken with flash of a man and a woman standing up and posing together for the camera. The woman is standing to the left and is dressed up like Audrey Hepburn from "Breakfast at Tiffany's". She is smiling and wearing a black sleeveless dress, long black gloves, a d diamond necklace, black sunglasses, and her dark hair is tied up in a bun. The woman is raising a glass. The man is standing to the right and is dressed up as a fried egg. He is wearing a white suit that is round in the middle and has a yellow circle in the center representing the yolk. The man as dark wavy hair and is holding his arms out with his mouth open mid-sentence.

Day 5: The Halloween Bash

Costumes were required. In honor of Halloween, we threw a 220-person party at the Soho Diner. Naturally, William Grand lit the dance floor on fire and his costume was absolutely up to par. Drinks were flowing from Tif’s Spiked, Dos Hombres, Martinelli’s and Onyx Coffee, keeping the dance floor going all night. Some of the best costumes we’ve seen to date.

A landscape image taken from the across the street of the outside of a fake diner with no windows and a green awning and pink and white lettering. The floor is covered in black and white checkered vinyl subway tile flooring. The back wall of the diner is covered in pictures of milk cartons and a mirror. A yellow taxi van is visible in the mirror. Large pink/white orb lights hang from the ceiling. There are four chair-less white and brown alternating rectangular and circular tables evenly spaced across the floor, each with a large bouquet of assorted white and orange flowers resting on them. The last table has no flowers. Metal-cube-ined windows are above and behind the emerald green awning. A tall gray light post covered in stickers stands to the right center in front of the diner. A wet sidewalk is in the foreground of the photo.

Day 6: Press Play on Brunch

The jukebox was well-used. To go out with a bang on the last day of the Whalebone pop-up at Soho Diner, a whole lotta Whalebone fans came out to brunch to enjoy music and that classic diner food. Guests were loving the playlist curated by Whalebone and Soho Diner and were scanning the menu so they could listen again later. Perfect way to start the day.

Maybe we should stay in the breakfast business.

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