A new bar has opened in downtown Binghamton, with a primary focus on building and fostering local connections.
At After Five, 73 Court St. in Binghamton, owner Brittney Kline hopes the bar will provide a space for the locals to “call their own.”
Kline, 29, of Binghamton, spent five years working as a teacher before she decided to switch career paths and become a business owner in 2025. During her teaching career, Kline picked up weekend bartending shifts for extra income and quickly took a liking to it. This, along with the fact that she felt she needed more personal growth and a way to continue promoting herself, led to her decision to open up a bar.
After a few months of shadowing and learning how to run a business, Kline “took the leap and did a career switch,” she said.
Kline took over the Court Street property in December 2025 and spent eight months rebuilding the space “from the bottom up,” she said, before holding the After Five soft opening in July. The bar opened on July 24.
After Five offers Binghamton locals a ‘spot to call their own’
As a local herself, Kline said she really wanted to focus on ensuring After Five was a space that catered more to the locals of Binghamton and less to the Binghamton University student population.
“As much as we love [the students] — they help our economy, they are great to have around — I just felt like the locals didn’t have a spot to call their own,” Kline said. “So, I was going for more of a relaxed atmosphere.”
Since opening, Kline has noticed most of the customers are in their mid-20s or older, and enjoy the various entertainment options including two pool tables, shuffleboard and darts, along with the spacious, relaxed vibe.
So far, her goal of connecting with the local community seems to be going very well, and Kline hopes to broaden these connections by eventually bringing local bands in for live shows, hanging local art on the walls and participating in Binghamton’s First Friday Art Walks.
“It’s my hope just to be a little more inclusive of our community,” Kline said.
What’s on the menu at After Five in Binghamton
The After Five menu offers a mix of carefully crafted cocktails and classic bar food.
Kline said she worked alongside a team for months to create the cocktail menu, complete with house-made syrups and infused vodka and whiskey options.
For food, the menu features “all the favorites,” Kline said, including wings, burgers, wraps and flatbreads, as well as wing night on Thursdays — fifty-cent wings and buy-one-get-one cans, bottles, and well cocktails.
After Five hours, location
After Five is located at 73 Court St., in Binghamton.
The bar is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Thursday and 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
For more information and updates regarding the bar, visit the After Five Facebook page or Instagram page.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: New downtown Binghamton bar wants locals to feel at home
Reporting by Sunshyne Lynch, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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By Sunshyne Lynch, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin | USA TODAY Network
