The Hotch Spot, 1813 E. Kenilworth Pl., formerly Hotch-A-Do, will open to the public tomorrow. I had the chance to chat with Pete Panagos, who is the co-owner of the new venture with Angie Storm, who owned Hotch-A-Do.

"We kept the 'Hotch' in the name to let customers know there's a lot here that's the same, but with a little more spunk, a little more life and really interactive, top-notch – but not corporate – customer service," says Panagos, who formerly managed Cans Bar and Canteen next door to The Hotch and worked in Las Vegas at The Palms.

The new Hotch features a massive bar made from recycled wood, two large televisions and tables with board games laminated to the tops. More light boards now hang from the ceiling, an appealing amount of greenery (with more to come) and new paintings of, ahem, a cat and a rooster on the doors of the restrooms.

The menu has many of the old favorites – including the Hotch hash – along with a new emphasis on grilled items from Bison to veggie burgers. (All of the meat is farm-fed.) There's also a new selection of loaded-style side orders such as Greek fries. The brunch menu will continue to be a huge focus and many of the same soups and sandwiches will still be available.

The Hotch Spot offers four different local beers on tap and a full bar.

"We're as much of a bar as a restaurant," says Panagos.

The Hotch Spot will be open Monday-Friday from 5 p.m. until bar time; Saturday and Sundays from 9 a.m. until bar time. After Summerfest, Panagos says they will open for lunch at 11 a.m. during the week. Live music will occasionally be featured.