Bars in the News; New Nightspot to open in a few weeks in Champaign

From the News-Gazette.

It's Your Business: New nightspot to open in a few weeks in Champaign

A mid-July opening is anticipated for the new Champaign nightspot Emerald City Lounge.

Previously home to the Jackson's Ribs and Tips restaurant, the building at 116 N. First St. has undergone an extensive remodeling, with a new bar, new flooring, paint, furniture and art, said co-owners Keith Cameron Smith and Tim Denoyer.

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Smith and Denoyer, who were married in California, said they want the lounge to be an inclusive place, where gay clientele feel comfortable and where their friends and family are comfortable.

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The space is about 6,000 square feet, plus there's a 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio. They raised a portion of the floor to create a stage and will feature local performers there. Couches were recently moved in, and televisions and art are also planned for the walls.

The drink offerings will include a selection of beers, microbrews, wines and "classic top-shelf drinks," Denoyer said. Four or five drinks that play on the "Wizard of Oz" theme will be available, but Smith and Denoyer said they don't plan to "go overboard" with the Oz theme.

I'll check it out, but I don't think it'll become one of my new favorite bars.