The building at the corner of Detroit and Elbur avenues in Lakewood has seen more than its fair share of bars – some long-lasting, others fleeting. Last Saturday,
(13601 Detroit Ave.) became the latest watering hole to join the register when the bar opened its doors to the public for the first time.
“It went awesome,” says owner Jimmy Bacha. “It was crazy packed.”
Bacha, along with partners Patrick McGinty, John Calo, Brian Taubman and Franco Caringi, plan to keep things simple at One Star, borrowing plays from the successful predecessors while steering clear of tactics used by doomed forerunners.
“We all went to O’Toole’s when it was O’Toole’s,” Bacha says, referring to one of the more long-lived inhabitants of the building. “They did it right, with that kind of neighborhood bar vibe.”
But then the building became a sort of revolving door of ephemeral ventures.
“We’re not a dive bar,” Bacha stresses. “We just want to be a corner bar with affordable drinks and affordable food. Comfortable.”