New Bar to Bring 'Up North' Feel to North Shore
Owner Paul Hackbarth hopes to open his new cabin-themed bar, Camp Bar, across from Sendik's on North Oakland Avenue, in late October.
There's something special about a trip "up north" for Paul Hackbarth.
That’s why he is trying to bring a bit of that northern cabin feel to Shorewood and the North Shore with his new bar, Camp Bar, which he hopes to open Halloween weekend.
“It will be like walking into a cabin, but it will still have an urban feel," he said. “It’s going to be what 'up north' means to me."
Under construction at 4044 N. Oakland Ave., Camp Bar will have a northern Wisconsin cabin design, with unique architecture.
“It will have lots of taxidermy, great woodwork and excellent craftsmanship,” he said. “When some people think 'up north,' they think rundown cabin or camping in the woods, but not here."
He added that he's working with an architect that designed some northern Wisconsin cabins he owns.
In the food and drink department, Hackbarth said Camp Bar will offer basic bar foods like pizzas and sandwiches, and while it will have an "upscale" feel, you won't spend more than $3 to $5 for a beer.
“We're looking at a Friday Fish Fry too, because that’s pretty 'up north,'” he said. "Take your typical metal bar sign, and replace it with great 'up north' artwork. It's going to have the feel of a million bucks, but with normal-priced drinks."
Hackbarth said he feels the concept is something very fresh and different for the area, and with construction under way on the Mandel Group development across the street in the Sendik’s parking lot, he’s got a good market to start with.
“I wanted something that was timeless, not something that would run its course and be done, like a martini bar,” he said.
He purchased the building in January with two storefronts, one of which houses his primary business, Sound By Design. Living four doors outside the village, Hackbarth said Shorewood is close to home and he believes the area is underserved in terms of a bar like this.
"As things progressed with the space next door, I went to Shorewood and told them I was thinking about doing a bar, and they were very encouraging and thought it would be a great addition with the apartments going up," he said. "I'm really going for that neighborhood bar."
He added he wants Camp Bar to be that place locals go to watch the big game. The bar will be outfitted with big screens, including an 80-inch LED big screen that will sit behind the bar.
With Shorewood out of regular liquor licenses, Hackbarth said he shelled out the $10,000 for the reserve liquor license.
Maripat (MP) Wilkinson
11:47 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Lots of taxidermy? Does he know anything about the residents of Shorewood?
Bob McBride
8:31 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Is there a universal dislike for dead animals? I mean, people do buy meat at the restaurants and food stores in the area....
Speak Your Onions!
10:36 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
A universal dislike for free enterprise system.
Bob McBride
10:52 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
How about if it's structured as a co-op, then?
Greg
12:26 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
The co-op would have a $35,000 limit on bar tabs.
Mr. Wonderful
8:36 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
@MP - There's more of us than you think. You can't separate those that love the outdoors, hunting, fishing, being up north by simply looking at the political makeup of an area or political designation alone. Who knows, now that we have wild turkeys roaming around Shorewood maybe we can REALLY bring the up north experience here.
N. Peske
9:12 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Very true! In fact, the description reminds me of my friend's living room when I was growing up in Shorewood. Her dad was always hunting and fishing and hanging up deer heads in their house (with Christmas decorations draped on their antlers each December). Nice to have a bit of "up nort" in Shorewood.
Gma Fox
8:37 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Has he run a bar before?
Paul Hackbarth
9:17 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Please allow me to clarify that this isn't a "dead animal" all over the place bar. I simply was implying it will have all the great amenities of a cozy cabin. The interior design can be described as up north chic with an urban flare. Perfect
For the north shore! Excited for you all to experience
CAMP!
Paul Hackbarth
9:19 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Also please like our Facebook page to stay up to date with all the excitement.
www.facebook.com/campbarmke
Wiscogrrrl
12:20 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Any project like this is a labor of love and takes so much work to get off the ground. I think it sounds like a very cool addition to the community and I can't wait to patronize it!
S Yanoff
10:26 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
You lost me at taxidermy, as well as a few others I know of. Ask yourself...what really is the need to sacrifice animals for the sake of mere decorations? Eating the animal is at least an understandable way to honor the animal's life, but throwing up a few stuffed ones to oversee my imbibing is not necessary; but at least there are multiple options on the same street.
N. Peske
6:42 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
I have a 60-year-old fish on my wall. There's a 40-year-old swordfish in a relative's house. Some people stuff their late pets to honor them. It's not that people run about killing animals to create decorations. Talk to a fisherman or hunter about their respect for animals. You might be surprised by what they have to say.
So, drink at Oakcrest, Harry's, or the Village Pub if it makes you uncomfortable. It's nice to have variety in Shorewood.
Bob McBride
7:05 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
In most cases, an animal taken by a hunter is going to suffer a less traumatic demise than is the stuff you honor by eating it. Unless you think any being prefers spending its last few minutes being herded into a killing machine and, in some cases, partially butchered before its dead.
Mr. Wonderful
8:34 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
I'd also point out that most modern taxidermy, in the case of fish, are replicas. What you do is a take a photograph and measure the fish and then release it. 100% artificial artistic representations. In the case of deer head mounts, as a hunter I see it as using even more of the animal than just the venison (although I don't want them hanging in my house). So I think it's a little unfair to say that it's someone going out to sacrifice animals and hang them on their wall. As far as Oakcrest, we went there when it first opened but the food is really mediocre (fried) and too expensive. The owner has been nice to me but I've heard too many stories regarding him and decided to eat elsewhere.
Adam W. McCoy
2:47 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Several comments have been deleted from this thread deemed as personal attacks against the owner of Oakcrest Tavern. Please, no more personal attacks.
David Tatarowicz
2:58 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
I remember about 5 decades ago going up Nort to Squirrel Lake off Hwy 70 west of Minocqua --- we stayed on a different lake, but Squirrel was a good Muskey lake so we always went there a couple times during a stay --
We would go to Doc's -- a log cabin tavern on the lake ---Very Small --- rent a boat and motor from Doc and get some bait ...
As I said, Doc's was very small, even then I almost hit my head on the ceiling --- and to tell the truth it was not the cleanest tavern ---- and the floor of the place, for the first several years we went there, was nothing more than a hard packed dirt floor.
Nothing fancy at Doc's.
And we never ate or drank anything from Doc's that did not come in a sealed can or bottle or wrapper !!! Much more healthy that way.
But alack and alas --- progress seems to catch up everywhere !
On a yearly visit to Doc's -- we went in and found to our amazement that he had a New Floor !!!
He told us that some inspector from the state came one day, and told Doc times had changed, and that to keep his liquor license, he could no longer have a dirt floor.
So here was Doc's little old log cabin tavern on Squirrel Lake, with "wall to wall" carpeting !!!
I wonder to this day, if that state inspector ever realized, that the new wall to wall carpeting, was installed right over the dirt floor LOL