Chicago bar set to re-emerge from the ashes
When Scarlet Bar went up in blazes on a late February morning earlier this year its future seemed just as hazy as the thick clouds of smoke that surrounded the fire. In addition to completely destroying the bar, the fire cost several tenants living above their homes and many employees their jobs.
Fast forward half a year to today and Scarlet is slated to re-open later this month. In the time since the bar originally opened in Dec. 2007, it developed a reputation among Boystown night-prowlers as a "drama-lite" option on the Halsted strip. And though former regulars should notice a new face to the bar’s completely redone interior, owner Paul Cannella said his bar’s laid back vibe cannot be gutted.
"The one thing that I think has remained true is the low-key, low attitude atmosphere," Cannella said as he compared his bar’s philosophy to a gay "Cheers" of sorts. "This is a bar and it’s meant to be entertaining. People should be able to walk in here, anybody, and just have a good time, be greeted by a friendly staff member and tell a bad joke or corny story from their day."
Cannella had originally intended for the bar to return in time for Pride in June, but he has faced some delays while rebuilding his watering hole from scratch. He admitted he "[didn’t] have a 100 percent lock on the timing" of the opening, but Cannella added was excited as he looked ahead to the bar’s packed itinerary of theme nights and dance jams.
Come opening time, the bar will see the return of many of the events for which it is best known. Most notable are Frathouse Thursdays, a night of 40-ounce beers and flip-cup matches, and Art Haus Mondays, a lounge event featuring the work of upcoming independent filmmakers. Its wild First Ward Balls, formerly held on Sundays, have been moved to Fridays to allow for the hijinks to continue later into the night, and Saturdays will feature resident DJ Psycho Bitch.
New events will also join the fray. These include the tentatively titled "Downtown Wednesdays" that will feature guest DJs from the city’s best nightclubs and bottle service, and Sunday’s new flavor - a "sexy, red light district" vibe with rotating themes straight from the streets of Amsterdam.
Another new addition for Scarlet will be a daytime "coffee shop," which will welcome anyone looking to caffeinate, converse and connect via the bar’s free wi-fi service.
Despite the obstacles faced over the past year, Cannella remains unabashedly excited as he looks forward to his business’s next chapter. He said the support from local residents and businesses played a big part in pushing his efforts forward.
"I’m looking forward to getting back to developing the programming and wrapping up these business-related issues," he said. "This whole experience has not been easy, but it’s been uplifting to hear people’s encouragement for us to reopen so they can come in. I hope we can earn the community’s support again and continue to grow because we hope to be around on the strip for a long time to come. We are setting our sights high."
