Drunken Bean soft opening, grand opening coming soon

By Nicole VandeBoom | Staff Writer

The Drunken Bean coffee and wine bar, formerly Lakeshore East Coffee, 400 E. South Water St. opened this week with a new menu. Owner Nick Papageorgiou opted to use the slower season in Lakeshore East as the time for a soft open for the newly remodeled space. Papageorgiou said, “for now we want to feature a limited menu and work out the kinks with the new staff [and] kitchen.” 

Dark colors, cozy seating, and industrial touches adorn the newly remodeled space, where the coffee counter is now a bar and a wine cooler is visible at eye level. Sofas, rocking chairs are paired with small wood side tables. The walls are a mixture of textured patterns, black paint and bricks with a painted mural.

“This is so cool,” said Jackson VandeBoom, 340 On the Park resident and young gelato aficionado when he opened the front door. When asked what he liked the best about the remodel VandeBoom said he liked the big, comfortable new chairs.

Papageorgiou said construction crews were still hard at work until 6a.m. the morning of the re-opening. Some of the finishing touches Papageorgiou is waiting on include rugs, completion of the mural, and some electrical work in the kitchen. When the weather improves, residents can expect a vestibule by the front doors to be installed.

The Drunken Bean’s wine list will range from $6-$12 per glass. For patrons wishing to sip on pricier reserves, those are in stock too.

In addition to wine and spirits, Papageorgiou has enlisted a chef and kitchen staff to create small plate meals serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner items throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch revolve around creative sandwiches and salads. Customers can choose from smaller plate options for dinner, like hummus and charcuterie boards, along with pastries and a gelato bar for dessert.

Current hours of operation are 6 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays. Papageorgiou remains undecided about the weekend closing hours as of now, he said the bar might be open until 11 p.m. The Drunken Bean will have a grand opening event sometime in the near future, but the date is yet to be determined.