If you're a fan of bitter herbal liqueur, you may want to plan on spending some time in Logan Square over the next few months. Italian amaro maker Fernet-Branca is opening Branca Bar, a pop-up cocktail bar that will serve a variety of amaro-centric drinks and host a weekly bocce night.
Branca Bar will be the first concept to take up residence in the space that formerly housed Surf, a beach-themed bar and restaurant owned by the team behind Emporium Arcade Bar (and located directly next to Emporium's Logan Square location). The bar is scheduled to open on February 1 and will remain in the space through the end of March, with a possible one-month extension through the end of April.
While plans are still being solidified, Branca Bar is planning to host staff from cocktail bars in cities like New York City, San Francisco and Detroit for one-night pop-up appearances. The space itself will be modified to reflect its new theme, doing away with the bright pastel colors that characterized Surf and replacing them with cozy decor, couches and possibly a billiards lounge in the back of the venue. Instead of the storefront's street entrance, guests will enter the bar through a "secret" entrance located within Emporium Logan Square.
Not a Fernet drinker? You might still want to keep an eye on the former home of Surf—moving forward, the Logan Square storefront will be used as a rotating event space and a venue for pop-up bars and restaurants. If the space's initial partnership with Fernet-Branca is any indication, you can expect to see other brands using the space to create drinking and dining experiences centered around their products. Or maybe we'll just get another restaurant based on a popular ’90s TV show, a la Saved by the Max.
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