This Boise bar and restaurant is ‘busier and busier.’ So another will open below it
Slinging drinks across from Boise State University can be a popular endeavor. Just ask Chris Mitchell, who oversees The James Kitchen & Bar, a rooftop hangout at 1030 S. Broadway Ave.
So when the opportunity arose to open another bar directly below The James — in a shuttered barbershop — it was a no-brainer, he says.
“The James is getting busier and busier and busier,” explains Mitchell, director of operations for DBS Hospitality, which operates The James and the street-level Sandwich Bar in the same building. “I’m a big believer in the location.”
By the time the Broncos play their season-opening football game, Mitchell hopes to unveil The Colledge Bar. A sports-themed destination, its name is a nod both to its collegiate neighbor and to restaurateur Daryn Colledge, a former BSU standout and ex-NFL player who owns DBS Hospitality.
The Colledge Bar won’t be a divey watering hole in the spirit of, say, Suds Tavern next door or The End Zone down the street. But it won’t strive to be as swanky as its bourbon-sipping big brother upstairs.
‘More casual’
The libations idea, Mitchell says, is to utilize some of the James’ housemade syrups and other ingredients, but to focus more on highballs — simple cocktails in tall glasses. “Approachable kind of patio drinks but definitely at a lower price point. Just a little more casual,” he says.
Beer undoubtedly will be a strong seller, both on tap and in bottles. Green tea shots, too, Mitchell predicts. Those are the Irish-whiskey-and-peach-schnapps concoctions currently streaming down Gen-Z throats. “That’s what the college kids love right now,” he says.
The Colledge Bar will have less of a restaurant focus than The James. But using The James’ kitchen, it will serve pizza and other selections from a more-limited menu. Again, the focus will be on a laid-back vibe.
It’s all part of a mini-onslaught of improvements at the building. A large new exterior sign was recently installed outside The James. And Mitchell plans to add a louvered upgrade to the rooftop patio this year.
Wraparound patio
The Colledge Bar will have its own wraparound patio with capacity for about 50 seats. That’s even more than its modest-sized interior, which will be able to handle 35 or 40, Mitchell estimates.
When it finally opens, The Colledge Bar will be the fourth concept for DBS Hospitality, which also operates Corso Italian Steak, 1555 S. Broadway Ave.
For its owner, Colledge, the newest bar might feel a little extra-special. (And not just because of the name. Who doesn’t love a Colledge Bar across from a college?)
As a sports bar, the decor will be driven by TVs and football-focused memorabilia. But since Colledge spent his career in the trenches as a guard for the Green Bay Packers, the walls will reflect players with similar lunch-pail backgrounds.
“Quarterbacks and running backs get most of the press,” Mitchell says. “Daryn was a lineman, so we kind of want to feature defensive and offensive linemen.”