The stars have aligned for a new bar coming to Milwaukee’s east side, which is set to open soon in the building once home to the Crossroads Collective food hall.
Star Bar, 2011 Ivanhoe Place, will open Aug. 13, celebrating Leo season with “bold, golden, spotlight-ready energy,” according to a news release from New Land Enterprises, which owns the building and the bar.
It will celebrate with a grand opening event that night from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., aimed at showcasing the space and introducing guests to the “Star Bar experience.”
The release explains that the bar is themed around astrology, but will be “accessible to [both] guests who know their full birth chart and those who simply want a place to gather.”
Plans for the bar include “curated DJ nights, immersive themed experiences, creative workshops, seasonal celebrations, neighborhood events for all ages and collaborations with local artists and creatives,” according to the release.
According to a license application filed with the city of Milwaukee in June, the 698-square-foot bar will include a dance floor with space for a DJ, and outdoor seating available in warmer months.
The calendar of events and full menu have not been released, but the bar will serve tap beer, canned beverages, mixed drinks, wine and specialty cocktails, including four house cocktails inspired by earth, air, water and fire. It also plans to serve a rotating cocktail based on each Zodiac season.
Teaser posts on Star Bar’s Instagram account include images of glittering disco balls and stars projected across the room.
“I want Star Bar to feel like a place where anyone can walk in, be themselves and know there is room for them here,” Emily Chirillo, hospitality director at New Land Enterprises, said in the release. “My hope is that it becomes the kind of neighborhood bar people return to because it feels welcoming, familiar and the perfect amount of special.”
In the same building, New Lands Enterprises also operates Shanghai Speakeasy, which last year was voted the No. 1 speakeasy in the country by USA TODAY readers.
For more than a year, Italian restaurant Nadi Plates planned to move into the 7,000 square-foot space next to Star Bar, formerly the Crossroads Collective food hall. Those plans were scrapped in June, around the same time Star Bar’s plans were announced.
Nadi Plates now plans to open around the corner at 2238 N. Farwell Ave., previously home to Pomona Cider Co.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Astrology-themed bar sets opening date on Milwaukee’s east side
Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
