PAWTUCKET – Designed to make visitors forget the outside world entirely, Nevermore Bar & Lounge is preparing to open in downtown Pawtucket, promising a place where “lipstick-stained glasses, dim lights, and perfect pours await.”
Rob and Stacy Deetz, owners of Hangry Kitchen at 542 Pawtucket Ave. (Stacy is the chef), say they’re expecting to open before the holidays, pending some final Health Department approvals, and are excited to show people what they’ve been working on.
With a name and logo inspired by the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore will be located in the former Mad Dog Cafe and Blackstone River Cafe space at 65 Blackstone Ave. That’s on the side of the old mill complex closest to the Tolman High School parking lot.
The new bar, first soft-launched as a concept in March, with a mantra that “the best things are found in the shadows,” will hopefully be ready to open by next weekend, according to the owners.
Some equipment was already in place from the previous restaurant use, said Rob, and they’ve also made many of their own updates to the former coffee bar space. He said whenever they start a business, they like to see a space and its potential before figuring out a concept and name, rather than trying to force anything into a box. After seeing what sort of vibe they were getting, they saw the potential for a beautiful cocktail bar in a room with 15-foot ceilings and rafters. They’re also redoing the large restroom in a style similar to the rest of the space: “dark, moody, (a little bit) gothic.”
Patrons will be invited to sit, relax, hang out, and have a drink, said Rob, as well as order a tea tower full of food and dessert. They’ll find wingback chairs, couches, a fireplace and really great wallpaper that they should pay close attention to.
Hours will likely be 5 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday through Saturday, but those are subject to change. Rob said Hangry Kitchen has previously worked with Burbage Theatre on dinner-and-a-show concepts. Burbage is in same mill complex along the Blackstone River, and Nevermore will consider expanding hours to accommodate midweek shows there, and as business picks up.
The city previously made a point of setting up a special zoning designation for these buildings to encourage businesses to fill the available spaces, said Rob. With the future closure of nearby Tolman as part of a high school consolidation, he said, they felt now was the time to take the plunge on this endeavor. Any type of new use for that large building, whether residential or commercial, will draw people to the area, he said.
“We figured this is a good time and place to open up something,” he said.
The couple say they’re proud of what they’ve built at Hangry Kitchen, and are about to celebrate their third anniversary there. Rob said they tried not to take the offensive words of Hasbro’s CEO about Pawtucket’s restaurants personally. It was his loss that he never got out to enjoy what’s offered locally, he said, but hopefully he gets everything he’s seeking with the Boston dining scene.
They used a similar strategy of developing a mood board and concept when coming up with the name for Hangry Kitchen, he said. Part of the inspiration for the new name was Edgar Allan Poe’s large following in the area. He mentioned the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy pop-up, as well as The Providence Athenaeum, where Poe famously courted poet Sarah Helen Whitman.
“Think Jessica Rabbit meets Edgar Allan Poe, right here in Pawtucket,” said the owners in an Instagram post. “Let us pour you something beautiful.”
