PHOENIX — Weeks after owner Josh Parry announced in an emotional Facebook post that his Phoenix cocktail bar, SideBar, had permanently closed after 11 years in business on the corner of 7th Avenue and McDowell Road, new owners have moved in and begun construction to open another bar in its place.
"Thank you for loving SideBar like I did. Thank you for all the times you chose to share part of your life with us. Thank you for being part of my SideBar family and sharing so much joy in our second floor home," Parry wrote in the Facebook post.
Sky Restaurant Concepts, the group behind Squid Ink, a sushi bar and restaurant, have taken over the space and are working to open Highball Cocktail Bar.
"It is kind of a spin on a speakeasy. We are really trying to restore the old, kind of go with the attitude of downtown right there in the historic district," said Emily Moore, director of public relations for Sky Hospitality Concepts, in an interview with ABC15.
"We’re thinking 1920s, 1930s Prohibition-type vibe. Real dark and rich, and genuine. Big Chesterfield sofas, beautiful velvet drapes, ya know, cool pictures," she said.
They have tapped Mitch Lyons and Libby Lingua, who both formerly worked at UnderTow and Century Grand, two of the Valley's premier and immersive cocktail bars, to lead Highball's cocktail program.
Moore said the drink menu was still being finalized, but that people could expect high-end, classy cocktails. The bar would also have a light food menu, mostly easy-to-eat finger food, such as Charcuterie, pretzels, and panini, she said.
Right now, Moore said they are aiming to open as early as the first week of October, but because they are a cocktail bar, the opening will largely depend on current COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.
You can follow Highball's Facebook page for updates.
