By Ashley Michaels, Jayplay writer
Two college-age guys drift toward the dart boards with their drinks. At a table behind me, a middle-aged couple eats while one of the bar owners, Barry Loudis, sits and chats with them. Across the room at a table for two, a vibrant elderly woman sits alone with her scotch on the rocks and a book. The two dart-board guys approach the woman. "You're with us tonight," they say. She seems flattered and gladly accepts their invitation. I feel like I'm at hometown bar, only without the 40-year-old guy hitting on me.
old local guy hitting on this. The Mad Hatter offers a dimly lit basement-bar atmosphere with a hint of sophistication to make you feel comfortable and chic all at once. In the same night you can order a 50-cent domestic draw and later get a shot of Patron, a top-shelf tequila.
tequila.
The Hatter sits at Vermont and Seventh Streets. You may remember it as the hole-in-the-wall bar, Rick's Place. If that's the case, you may be inclined to never go
back. The two bars could not be more different. When Rick's moved six months ago, two college grads, Barry Loudis and Charlie Myers, decided they wanted to open their own bar. "We tried hard to give Lawrence something new," Loudis says. Their goal was to create a restaurant by day and a hot spot by night. By hot spot, they mean a place where people go to dance and have a good time, not just stop in for a drink. They spent all last summer from May 1 to Aug. 19, renovating the space. They replaced everything, including the floors, ceilings and plumbing They spent about $125,000 on restorations and did most of the work themselves.
selves.
The Mad Hatter is not new to Lawrence. From 1967 to 1994, Mad Hatter sat where Borders is now. It was a staple in Lawrence for the college crowd and the new owners are trying to make it that again. "We have alumni come in because they see the sign and recognize it from their days in col-
lege," Loudis says.
lege," Louis says. Opening a bar in a college town is not an easy task. With the all the competition, a new bar has to have a certain appeal. Mad Hatter may seem like your typical bar and grill. It has pool tables, touch screens and dart boards. The music is straight from a jukebox. One minute you are listening to the Dixie Chicks and before you know it, Nelly is "#1." So what makes it different? "We have a really diverse crowd. It's not just greeks; it's a mix of people," says Marie Mullinix, waitress and bartender at Mad Hatter, "It's laid-back, you can just hang out and have a beer and if you are hungry, we have the best bar food in Lawrence."
Lawrence. Competition with other bars leaves no room for error. Quinton's is just across the alley from The Hatter and is its biggest competitor. Drink specials are always available and plans for improvement are in sight. In keeping with the Alice in Wonderland theme, by next fall, the basement
of Mad Hatter will be transformed into a lounge called The Rabbit Hole, Loudis says.
says.
So is Mad Hatter different from the others? Some might think so, but others aren't convinced. "I liked Mad Hatter, but it's really not much different from the other bar and grills in Lawrence," says Lindsey Morris, Overland Park senior. "I definitely wouldn't go there to dance, but it's a good place to just hang out and have a drink with friends."
a drink with friends. Sunday brunch at The Hatter is available starting at 11 a.m.The grill is open from 11 a.m.to 9 p.m.and there are drink specials every night. On Monday and Tuesday nights there are live bands and on Thursdays there is a DJ.
amichaels@kansan.com
12
Jayplay 03.10.05