The rumors of Green Room closing have been flying around for months now. News of a mysterious new Fort Lauderdale spot Stache have been surfacing for almost as long. But no one knew what was really up until very recently. We spoke with owner of Green Room, and the whole Revolution complex, Jeff John on what is actually happening at the venue. Turns out, Green Room is getting something akin to a nightlife sex change and rebranding as Stache, a 1920s speakeasy with cocktails of the fancy, artisanal sort.
"We are not trying to lose anything that Green Room stood for, in terms of art, music, shows, and talent," John assures, "All of that is going to be incorporated into Stache." They're throwing cash at the space to make it a prettier place to party. There may be changes in decor, the addition of mixology, happy hours, and an early tapas menu, but the artistic and indie vibe of Green Room will remain. It seems like John and his partner in this venture Mykel Stevens -- formerly of the fantastic long-running Miami Beach-to-Miami fete Back Door Bambi -- are trying to bring a bit of the Broken Shaker energy North to Fort Lauderdale.
"If New York City, Miami, Chicago, a lot of these other big cities are doing it, it's only a matter of time before the small cities start incorporating these things." John says of the changes. "I'm trying to be on the forefront while staying true to what we are."
They want to offer the people a "better experience" but also bring in an additional crowd with this makeover. "You're still going to be able to get a PBR in there," he insists, but makes it clear that there will be a higher caliber of booze at Stache than you can find elsewhere in Fort Lauderdale. "We're trying to adjust for the future, bring something cool to town. Bring something that's going to be a positive addition to Himmarshee."
Part of their goal is to bridge the gap between Las Olas and Himmarshee, bringing the young professional crowd back to downtown. Stache is meant, in some ways, to lure the party hardy corporate types back to the area. "We can bring them back over the tracks," John says confidently. "I want to be at the forefront of bringing back some of those people. I really believe over the next couple of years -- with the Marina Lofts, the development of the South side of the river, and Riverfront being redeveloped and finally being open -- the years ahead of us are very bright."
He's employed John Lermayer, the mixologist who opened both opened the Rec Room at Gale Hotel on Miami Beach and Blackbird Ordinary in downtown Miami. "His ability to create cocktails and present them in a professional manner is exquisite," the owner says. He helped them with the drink menu and will assist in training the Stache staff.
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"One thing in the bar business, you have to always be looking to the future," John says. He promises that there will be no loss of "a fun, good time" and that they''ll be "staying true to the music."
There will be soft openings throughout October on Fridays and Saturdays. The grand opening is likely to happen after Halloween. Then they'll be open with particular parties, seven days a week until 4 in the morning.
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