Hideaway Bar Being Built Behind And Beneath Billy Sushi
Remember that sense of intrigue you used to feel, wandering to the back of Bachelor Farmer and finding that set of stairs, virtually unmarked, that led to the hippest cocktail bar in the Twin Cities? That was Marvel Bar, which sadly closed early in the pandemic along with Bachelor Farmer and the attached coffee shop on 1st Street.
In a few months, though, we’ll have a new hideaway bar in the North Loop, in the level below Billy Sushi.
“Marvel Bar is missed so much in the North Loop,” said Billy Sushi’s owner, Billy Tserenbat, “and Billy After Dark is coming to the rescue.”
Billy After Dark will be a small cocktail bar that will take a little exploring to find. Its entrance will be in the back of the building, down an alley and around a corner. And since Historic Preservation officials are barring him from hanging a sign on the outside wall, Billy plans to just shine a light (perhaps a neon sign) through the light above the door.
“I just want to do something really cool for Minneapolis,” he said.
Billy calls his new project an elevated speakeasy with a modern look. He says it will have seating for about 50 people, including a couple of private “snug rooms,” where people can “just sit there and chill.” Besides cocktails, it will also serve small bites and dessert.
Billy expects to have Billy After Dark ready to open by May. You can learn more about it in this Mpls St Paul Magazine article.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer