Regulars who frequent Side Track Bar, 2835 N. Brookfield Rd., were gripped with panic when word spread that their favorite watering hole was moving. Lucky for them, wheels are in motion to set up shop just 500 feet down the road.
"It's not that we don't like the building, we love it," says owner Mark Bower. "We worked hard to make it what it is."
In the same building, there is another establishment owned by Bower, the Plank Hotel Café. The name of the restaurant comes from the original owner of the building, Fay Plank. However, the cafe did not open the same time as Side Track Bar.
Shortly after Bower began running Side Track Bar in 1998, construction began on Brookfield Road. Roadwork continued for three years. Finally, after the city had finished giving the street a facelift, Bower felt it was time to open his café.
Both of these establishments are relatively small, and in order to expand business, Bower needed a larger building.
The new site would house both the restaurant and the bar and besides changing the location, Bower also wants to change the name. The new bar and the restaurant will share one new name, The Bowery Sports Eatery.
When is this move expected to happen? As soon as possible. What's taking so long? It seems there are some rules of conformity when changing a building from retail to tavern use. For instance, the city wants Bower to redo the front of the new building and mimic the colonial theme that several buildings in the area already possess.
"The details still need to be worked out," says Bower. "Were trying to get an exception from the city. To conform would cost about $50,000."
While Bower wants to avoid redoing the outside of the new building, the inside has been completely redesigned by a group of Mount Mary College students.
"The girls did a great job," says Bower. "It was a lot of work for them and for me but some of their ideas were unbelievable. It was too hard to pick just one so we took pieces from many ideas. Were going to put them together and make it work."
Side Track Bar offers several staples of the tavern scene, including a Golden Tee machine, a pool table, electronic dartboards, pinball and a jukebox, which plays free tunes on Saturdays from 10 p.m. to bar time.
Drink specials include $1 off all imports on Tuesdays. Wednesday is Ladies Night, allowing women to drink for free from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. On Fridays, a free pint comes with a fish dinner.
Food selections include salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza and a different special daily. Sandwiches run about $6, and pizzas range from $5 to $17. There are also tacos for $1 on Wednesdays.
Bower's parents used to own a restaurant, which gave him some experience in a kitchen. One can definitely tell that Bower takes pride in what he serves. He recommended the hot roast beef sandwich explaining the beef gets just about perfect after it steams for 20 hours.
"When I was a little kid, instead of getting a babysitter I would follow my parents around," says Bower. "It kept me out of trouble. That's where I learned most of my cooking, from my mom."
Side Tracks Bar has been in constant competition with the bar directly across the street for some time now. Formerly known as Buddies, now called Sabella's, the two taverns are the only watering holes open until 2 a.m. within a five-mile radius.
With few options for thirsty drinkers, one would think that two bars located so close to each other, in such a small town, might cause some type of strain on the owners. Apparently that's not the case, considering both bars have the same intentions.
"Were trying to get people together to have some fun," says Bower. "Come in and take a load off. We encourage that and think it should happen more. We have people from doctors to blue-collar workers. That's what I love about this place. You get people from all walks of life."
For more information call (262) 797-0300.
