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Over the years, the space beneath Beans & Barley, 1905 E. North Ave., has hosted a variety of nightclubs, including Shooter's, Esoteria and most recently, Mantra. Once again, three Milwaukee guys reinvent the place, this time with not one but two new ventures: a dance club called Decibel and a vodka lounge called DeepBar.
D. Bowie, Drew Deuster and J.J. Kovacovich, all born and raised in Milwaukee, have big plans for their new spots -- which they hope to open sometime in April. Deuster describes Decibel as a "full-out nightclub with music diversity" and DeepBar will serve as Milwaukee's first vodka lounge.
Deuster and Kovacovich, both 27, have a history of bar management. Deuster was the manager and VIP specialist at C02 Ultra Lounge, 715 S. 5th St., and Kovacovich worked at Hi-Hat Lounge, 1701 N. Arlington Pl., and Red Light, 1758 N. Water St.
"We're out five or six nights a week, and have a strong grasp of what people in Milwaukee want," says Bowie, a 30-year-old entrepreneur and nightlife enthusiast.
Mike Vitucci, who owned Mantra along with James Amato, is on board as a Decibel/DeepBar consultant. The Vitucci family still owns the classic corner lounge, Vitucci's, 1832 E. North Ave.
"We loved Mantra, and the city did too," says Deuster. "It's really a blessing that we're taking over a successful spot."
The talented Scott Genke of SG Works is designing the décor. Genke created the Mantra environment -- and did the redesign a few years later. Also, he is the aesthethic mastermind behind Redroom, Yaffa and more.
"Working with Scott has been one of the best parts of this experience," says Deuster. "And it's really exciting -- people won't recognize one thing from the way the space used to look."
Decibel and DeepBar are separate yet connected spaces. Patrons will walk through DeepBar to get to Decibel, and both bars will be chic as well as casual, in an attempt to appeal to many different types of people.
"Both places will have higher-end settings, but we still want people in T-shirts and baseball caps to feel comfortable," says Deuster.
The owners say Decibel will spin music that goes beyond the nightclub norm in Milwaukee, which usually features a steady flow of Top 40, hip hop and electronic. Deuster promises to have "top name DJs" playing cutting edge material.
"Milwaukee has a lot of really creative DJs with their hands tied," he says. "We want to provide a place for them to experiment."
DeepBar was inspired by vodka lounges in Las Vegas, a place Deuster frequents often to visit his girlfriend.
"Vodka is a hot product right now," he says. "There are so many different kinds, and people like to sample and try them."
DeepBar's VIP lounge will offer bottles of vodka completely encased in ice -- one of a few "surprises" in store for people visiting Deep Bar and Decibel. However, at this point, the owners aren't willing to divulge what other treats they have in store for their clientele.
"We have some great stuff planned, but for now we're going to keep people in suspense," says Deuster.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
