By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Sep 02, 2008 at 9:37 AM

This past July Marisa Lange, owner of Classic Slice, 2797 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., and business partner Holly DeShaw purchased the bar at 3007 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., formerly known as The Groove.

According to Lange, their plan is to revamp and restructure to re-open this October as Blackbird.

"Look forward to cozy booths, a back patio, DJs and a rad community space in the back room," she says.

Blackbird will offer beer, wine and booze, as well as coffee and tea. Lange and DeShaw say they are considering serving food in the future and are still debating whether or not smoking will be allowed.

Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee.com for more details as they develop.

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”