Mac’s Bar will expand, continue to host live music

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Last week, Mac’s Bar was listed as ‘temporarily closed’ on Facebook. Talent buyer Scott Bell said that when it completes renovations, Mac’s would reopen as a sport’s bar and likely not feature live music from local artists. The Facebook page was updated with a photo that said “R.I.P. Mac’s” and local social media was rife with posts memorializing the bar, as people lamented the news and shared their deepest personal experiences hanging out with friends and attending gigs at Mac’s Bar. 

Owner Chuck Mannino now says the fears of losing Mac’s Bar for good have been exaggerated and that Mac’s, once renovations are complete, will expand as a larger establishment that will serve pizza and host smaller shows downstairs and larger concerts upstairs.

“We are renovating the bar and we’ve gutted it. It needs a facelift, it has for a long time,” Mannino said. “We are going back to the building itself, it will have exposed brick walls.”

Mannino said he purchased the building directly next door to Mac’s Bar and will turn it into a pizza joint that offers carryout and delivery. His end goal is to connect the two buildings and have the pizza also served in Mac’s Bar. The pizza, Mannino says, will be Detroit-style. Also, in addition to the deck, a back patio will be added. 

“We’re going to cut a hole in the wall and attach the two buildings. That’s going to be awesome,” Mannino said.

Mannino said he is basing the Mac’s Bar upstairs overhaul on a Detroit-based bar called The Checker Bar. Larger shows will tentatively be moved to this space in the building that is being opened up for the first time. 

“Nothing is signed in blood. We might still have space for a guy with a guitar or a DJ to play downstairs. But we won’t have a setup for a huge band downstairs,” Mannino said. 

Mannino said that those worried about the future of Mac’s Bar will ultimately be happy with the end results.

“It’s going to the best damn bar in the east side, hand’s down,” he said. 

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