Sometime in mid- to late-November, tentatively, look for the opening of Bloom Ultra Lounge. The project comes from owners Stephon Black and Colter Lillich, who connected while working together in 2009.
That was at Copperhead Road, and Lillich moved on to work outside of the industry, while Black later worked at Navajo Hogan (currently defunct and for sale, BTW) and helped open Slingers, before creating Samich Shack (inside COATI and at 5830 Omaha Blvd.).
With Bloom, Black says the goal is to feel like a high-end night bar, with fine decor and atmosphere, but not too expensive: “a place where you’ll get really good customer service, where the bartender’s actually nice to you.”
It’ll be cocktail-forward, with an EDM soundtrack for dancing, but also serve small plates, fondue and desserts. It’ll all be countertop cooking behind the bar (no hoods, not a full kitchen), partly inspired by a place in Fort Collins named Social, says Black. They’ll have a slicer to cut meats fresh for charcuterie boards, and dish items like blistered shishito peppers, tuna tartar, steak carpaccio and a vegan meatball sandwich, plus melted cheeses and chocolates. “Simple stuff, but elegant,” says Black, touting an interactive menu, where with a QR code scan guests will be able to watch pre-made videos of the food and drinks being made, to get a visual of what they’re ordering.
