GOLD COAST — Coconutz, the new bar whose playful name invokes breezy island vibes, opens Friday on Division Street. But guests will have to wait before sipping out of a shell.
The bar — a product of the same company that owns nearby haunts including the Hangge-Uppe, Lodge Tavern and Mother's — opens at 4 p.m. at 13 W. Division St. Though Coconutz largely eschews the domestic beers typical of Division Street in favor of 20 different wines and an extensive cocktail menu, general manager Josh King said the bar was named precisely to keep things loose.
"We're not taking ourselves too seriously," he said. "We wanted to make it very obvious you don't have to be afraid of any pretentiousness."
For now, Coconutz will serve its signature white rum punch ($14) in something other than actual coconuts because openers for the bar's namesake fruit weren't delivered in time for Friday's opening, King said. Coconutz hopes to start splitting open coconuts in about a month.
The food menu, however, is complete and derived from beaches around the world with small plates including jerk fish ($10), tuna poke ($12), curried chicken ($8), and chilled edamame ($7).
Coconutz seats about 100, and is split into three sections: a bar up front, a more formal dining room in the middle, and a lounge with "cabana couches" and DJ booth in the back. The decor includes bamboo walls and lighting that looks like rippling water.
The Coconutz kitchen will be open from 4-11 p.m. daily, and the bar will stay open till 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The bar will run a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. daily: $1 off food, $2 off wine, and $3 off the punch.
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