Open Concept, the nightspot known for charging by the hour rather than by the drink, is reopening in a new location 鈥 and with a twist.
When the bar opens April 29 at 4130 Manchester Avenue, in the Grove space formerly occupied by Firecracker Pizza & Beer, patrons will pay one fee to drink as much as they want all night.
The bar made its debut in 2019 at 2712 Cherokee Street, earning a shoutout from the hosts of 鈥淕MA3: Strahan, Sara and Keke鈥 on ABC.
鈥淭he concept is you walk in and see a wide variety of drinks and games, you give the hostess your name and information, and it鈥檚 no longer by the hour,鈥 says Open Concept co-owner John Latham. 鈥淲e do a flat rate now 鈥 pay that one time and just drink.鈥
The bar鈥檚 other owners are Michael Butler (also the St. 亚洲无码 recorder of deeds and Missouri Democratic Party chair) and Sal and Allison Martinez.
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The regular cover charge is $24, which includes unlimited beer, wine and cocktails; $44 includes premium drinks. A monthly subscription is also available. Patrons can pay online in advance.
鈥淎s the old man of the bunch, it鈥檚 been very interesting to watch technology be integrated into an old, established business,鈥 Sal Martinez says. 鈥淚鈥檓 fascinated how it can be done, how customers can be integrated into that level of experience. The staff is trained on how to utilize technology to make it an efficient experience.鈥
The owners jumped at the chance to relocate to the Grove. The bar鈥檚 capacity roughly doubles to about 150, with a large outdoor patio.
鈥淲e wanted to be bigger,鈥 Latham says. 鈥淭he last place was a good place. It showed what we can do, but we outgrew it very fast.
鈥淭he interesting thing is we were looking at the Grove before Cherokee Street, but it was tough to get out there at the time. I love this particular corridor expanding the way it is.鈥
The Open Concept team took over the new space in late winter, working to get ready to open.
General manager Chris Butler (Michael Butler鈥檚 cousin) is the main mixologist and is adding new cocktails to the menu.
Michael Butler says staff members keep an eye on patrons鈥 alcohol intake and behavior.
鈥淣inety-five percent of our customers never come close to overindulging,鈥 he says. 鈥淥ur experienced bartenders make sure that anyone who is visibly intoxicated is cut off from receiving any more drinks. We like to provide our customers with a glass of Pedialyte to rehydrate them and tastefully let them know they鈥檝e had too much.鈥
A new food menu will include pizza by FlamentCo鈥檚 鈥 the brick ovens from Firecracker Pizza remain 鈥 with veggie, vegan and meat options. An outdoor smoker will allow for barbecue, and brunch will be available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekends.
鈥淥ur customers can look to an enhanced experience,鈥 Martinez says. 鈥淲e look forward to welcoming back customers from Cherokee and new customers now that we鈥檙e here in the Grove. It鈥檚 a bar for everybody and open in every way.鈥
Before originally opening on Cherokee Street, Open Concept launched softly so the owners could iron out logistics.
鈥淲e needed it to be a smooth process, since we were charging by the hour,鈥 Latham says. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 swift. We weren鈥檛 agile with the data collecting and getting orders as fast as possible. We don鈥檛 want that. It should be quick and seamless.鈥
At the official opening in September 2019, Latham says, 鈥渢he initial boom shocked us a little bit. We really tested our capability and managed it well.鈥
After closing in March 2020 because of the pandemic, Open Concept reopened in June with reduced capacity and outdoor drinks but closed again in October.
鈥淲e had a vision for what Open Concept can mean to the community, so it was a tough decision,鈥 Martinez says. 鈥淏ut we were concerned about the safety of our customers and staff.鈥
COVID-19 safety protocols will be enforced as they were before.
鈥淲e鈥檒l stay on top of it the best we can to ensure a safe environment for customers,鈥 Martinez says. 鈥淗opefully, things will continue to open up. We want people to have a good time in a safe and responsible fashion. We鈥檙e not gonna jeopardize anybody鈥檚 safety chasing a dollar.鈥
Where Open Concept, 4130 Manchester Avenue • More info • Hours Thursday-Sunday 5 p.m.-1 a.m.