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Barrelhouse Flat Revamps Bottom Floor, Adds TVs

By Paul Biasco | June 12, 2014 5:19am
 Barrelhouse Flat reopened this week with a renovated first floor.
Barrelhouse Flat Renovations
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LINCOLN PARK — Lincoln Park's craft drink specialists at Barrelhouse Flat have done the unthinkable among mixologist circles: Add TVs to the bar.

The bar at 2624 N. Lincoln Ave. closed for a week to revamp the first floor and make it more neighborhood friendly.

"I want to meet the neighborhood halfway," said general manager James Wright. "To make our neighbors feel welcome here instead of being a special occasion-only bar."

Barrellhouse Flat is getting revamped and Paul Biasco has the details:

The renovations included taking out a number of booths that lined the middle of the first floor, removing an old piano that cluttered the bar and installing three TVs.

The bar has been known for its craft drinks and beers since opening in 2011 and many of the bartenders were skeptical of adding the TVs, according to Wright.

Wright argued that craft cocktails and craft beer were a bare minimum at most new bars opening in the city.

He now wants the first floor to have a more friendly neighborhood feel, while the second floor will remain focused on specialty drinks and a more intimate atmosphere.

"It's a bar. It should be open and welcoming," he said.

Along with the renovations on the first floor, the bar added a piano to the second floor and plans on hosting pianists most weekends.

"If you keep your neighborhood happy, they are going to keep you in business," Wright said.