MIDTOWN — Gay sports bar Boxers is launching a more upscale venue in Midtown, complete with an underground "man cave."
The bar chain — known for its shirtless bartenders — plans to make the new location at 215 W. 40th St. a little more restrained than its other locations, the owner said.
Shadow Boxers, which opens Sept. 2, will aim to serve not just the gay clientele of the Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen Boxers locations, but also the lunchtime, after-work and post-theater crowds as well.
"At noon, when people from J.P. Morgan are here having lunch, [bartenders] won't be shirtless," said co-owner Rob Hynds. "Later at night, when the place sets up like a club, the shirts will likely come off."
With two-for-one drink specials and a private underground "man cave" — a 1,500-square-foot private event space with a bar, dart board, television and leather couches and chairs — the goal is to draw in as many New Yorkers as possible, Hynds added.
"We're trying a broader appeal than a gay bar," he said. "This is a hybrid bar, a quality bar. Come one, come all."
The gay bar's Chelsea location first became popular for its happy hour specials, and the burgeoning chain opened a second location with a roof bar in Hell's Kitchen in 2012.
Hynds, who is also preparing to open a Boxers in Philadelphia, hopes to reel in new customers with a full kitchen and a late-night happy hour than runs from 10 p.m. to midnight. The menu hasn't been finalized yet.
Hynds said he designed the space to feel like it offers all the comforts of home.
"It's like being in the family room at your friend's house," Hynds said.
