Sunny's Lounge opens in the former Shady's. Here's what to expect

The replacement to the beloved dive bar Shady’s Fine Ales & Cocktails has arrived. Sunny’s Lounge opens Tuesday, brought to life by the team behind Century Grand and UnderTow.

The team at parent company Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment aims to continue the bar's history as a neighborhood spot and hopes to cater to nearby industry folks looking for a post-shift drink.

“This is the bar that we want our people to want to go to when they’re done working,” says Mat Snapp, Barter & Shake’s executive vice president of operations.
“It’s Sunny’s Lounge, S-L, which also means Say Less, and ‘say less’ is that industry term for, no matter what you’re asking, I’ve got you,” Snapp says.

The Barter & Shake team announced its takeover of the space shortly after news broke that Shady’s would close at the end of June, following nearly 20 years in business. Barter & Shake promised a prompt return after a “light renovation” to “preserve the historic charm of the space.”

“We don’t want to deprive Phoenix of a great local spot for longer than we have to,” Snapp says.

Confusion and frustration follow Shady’s closure

There was an outpouring of disappointment and frustration online after people learned of Shady’s abrupt closure in an announcement that notified customers and staff at the same time. A GoFundMe was created for the bartenders.

“The Shady’s employees were blindsided by the sale and being let go. Since we didn’t get a last night, this money will go 100% to the employees who were affected by this closure,” the fundraiser's page said.

People also lamented the loss of the community hangout and shared concerns about what the new guard would bring.

“I hope the new owners keep it a neighborhood place..." Johnny Caprise commented on a post from Shady’s Facebook page. “Shady's was real, not fabricated. And the people who went were a true mix of all kinds of people from all walks of life.”

Is Sunny’s a dive?

Snapp says Sunny’s is a “pendulum swing away from a very refined, very timed, very theatrical experience,” that people have come to know from the hospitality group’s other bars UnderTow, Grey Hen Rx and Platform 18 – which was named Best U.S. Cocktail Bar and among the 50 Best Bars in North America this year.

A few days before the new concept's opening night, the Barter & Shake team was still putting the finishing touches on the space, which remains dark, windowless and wood-paneled. The brick fireplace has been painted. On the mantel, surrounded by tealights, sits a Fab Ciraolo print of Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” in an Empire of the Sun tee.

“What we wanted to do was reinvigorate the neighborhood vibe,” Snapp says of the bar's updates.

The leather tufted booths remain, but have been elevated by a step, creating a stadium effect for those shooting pool at a table which got “a whole chiropractic,” Snapp says. It now features new felt, bumpers and rails.

The Shady’s jukebox, once stocked with third-wave ska, Britpop, funk and soul, is gone. When Barter & Shake took over, the jukebox remained, but the music had already been removed. Snapp says they have invested in a sound system “so that music is always going to be rich and thick,” without drowning out a conversation.

Snapp emphasized the casual nature of Sunny’s in comparison to their other spots, describing it as the “same great cocktail vibe without as many rules, regulations, no reservations.” Thanks to its location a mile and a half from its sister bars at Century Grand, Snapp concedes people may seek out Sunny’s for another drink after their timed experience ends.

“It’s supposed to be a very symbiotic relationship,” Snapp says.

What’s on the menu?

Sunny’s visual menu includes a slate of 15 core craft cocktails, which Snapp says will be priced at $12 to $13. Among them is Arcadia Lite, a nod to the neighborhood, which features cucumber-infused vodka, lime leaf, bubbles and lemon oil. Among the stirred cocktails is Come Mr. Tally Man, which features bourbon, vermouth, sherry, banana, cacao and long pepper.

There will also be a frozen pink margarita, a riff on an espresso martini and bloody marys on the weekends. Snapp says that cocktails from the team’s previous projects, such as Counter Intuitive and Pobrecito, will make also appearances. And there will be a full bar, beers and options like the Debutant Bullshit – a beer and a shot. The team is weighing food truck partnerships to have eating options available in the future.

Sunny’s will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., taking the opportunity to fill what Snapp says is a gap in places offering craft cocktails late and capturing industry workers in addition to customers from the neighborhood.

“We just want to be a great bar where you can get great drinks,” he says.