Offering unique ‘experience,’ new bar plans to open. Hurry, Boise. It plans to close, too.
A former restaurant space memorable to longtime Boiseans is about to be reincarnated as a stylish lounge.
But don’t procrastinate if you want to visit — it won’t be there too long.
The Nighthawk by Western Collective, a pop-up bar at 404 S. 8th St., is on track to open at the end of October. The adults-only hangout will take over about 7,000 square feet previously used by Cafe Ole Restaurant and Cantina, which closed its Mercantile Building location in 2014 after a 32-year run.
The pop-up bar’s shelf life? Around six months.
“It’s going to be a really cool spot,” Western Collective owner Cary Prewitt said. “The vibe is more underground wine lounge than it is brewery.”
Opened in 2018 at 111 W. 33rd St., Western Collective is an expanding Garden City brewery with Boise ambitions. Next year, Western Collective is set to open a restaurant, bar, entertainment center and music venue in the former Old Spaghetti Factory building at 610 W. Idaho St. Originally planned for this spring, that 10,500-square-foot project was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s now planned for May 2021.
The Nighthawk is a way to keep Western Collective’s brand active downtown this winter, Prewitt said, plus enjoy comfy new furniture purchased for the delayed Idaho Street complex.
The Nighthawk will pour six to eight Western Collective beers — including specialty releases from a newly hired, decorated brewing team — plus wine. Accepting reservations, The Nighthawk will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight weekdays and noon to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. Walk-in patrons likely will be accepted if space is available.
Candles, couches and wooden beams will fuel the lounge’s atmosphere.
“It’s not going to look or feel at all like our place in Garden City,” Prewitt said. “It’s going to be a really fun, unique, curated experience. We’re super-excited about the space.”
As chilly weather coaxes bargoers indoors, The Nighthawk will give Western Collective customers a second place to sip. With social distancing in place, the Garden City taproom has seating for about 32 people, Prewitt said. The Nighthawk at Western Collective will accommodate up to 68. Both spaces include new air purifier systems installed with the intention of reducing COVID transmission risk, he added.
The Nighthawk will close when the Idaho Street expansion opens, Prewitt said.
But he plans to enjoy the temporary 8th Street lounge while it lasts.
“I was looking for a space where you could have an experience,” he said. “This definitely fits our needs. It should be fun.”
Interested in a night at The Nighthawk? Book tables at The Nighthawk’s website, nighthawkboise.com, and follow @ridethehawkboi on Instagram and Facebook.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 3:59 PM.