A new intimate bar spot, Speakeasy Saloon, is opening in Kenton, according to a liquor license application.
Speakeasy Saloon is the latest concept from Dreamweaver Group, which also operates karaoke bar Hallway PDX, Traveling Taphouse and holds the liquor license for the Portland International Raceway.
While Dreamweaver’s previous concepts are high-energy and high-octane, Speakeasy Saloon is a more toned-down concept, aiming to be a neighborhood spot with higher-end cocktails. “There’s no TVs here,” says owner Zac Webster. “It’s about conversations and having friends and family hanging out and enjoying a craft cocktail.”
Their new space along Kenton Park, formerly home to Parkside Bar & Bistro, offers plenty of natural light with a glass garage door and a windowed storefront. “I think just intrinsically opens us up to the community,” says operations manager Eliette Clausen. “We face the field, and there’s dogs running around. It’s just very, very wholesome.”
However, with its windowed facade, Speakeasy Saloon won’t exactly be hard to find, unlike the speakeasies of the prohibition era. However, the space will play up its intimacy, seating 32 people. At night, the interior of Speakeasy Saloon will be draped in velvet curtains, lit up by a gas fireplace in the corner.
Local artisans will supply food at Speakeasy Saloon, further ingraining themselves in the community: cheeses from Cowbell Creamery, Olympia Provisions for meats and Ken’s Artisan Bakery for breads. The menu will offer small shareable items that complement the drinks.
The drinks will be another key element to the speakeasy concept. Clausen says, “we’ve been doing a lot of research to try and make it both identifiable as a speakeasy that makes it fun for people, but also our unique little spin.” The team at Speakeasy Saloon visited distilleries across Tennessee. The result of the trip yielded a menu of classic prohibition cocktails with a Portland twist.
Speakeasy Saloon is slated to open on 2135 N Willis Blvd. at the end of February.
