Students can expect to see a new bar downtown within the near future.
Cla-Zel management is opening a new bar called “The Melt Shop” on Main Street between Tuby’s and One49 in October of this year. It will be a pub-like bar, featuring food along with alcoholic drinks.
Cla-Zel Owner, Ammar Mufleh, has a background of looking at buildings and structures and finding value in them to produce something that will attract people. He said an opportunity presented itself after he bought the building on Main Street.
“That space has been empty for almost 20 years and I just finished purchasing the building,” Mufleh said. “I’ve been working on developing a cool concept that will be opening in October.”
Though the bar will be having a lunch menu and won’t be open 24 hours a day, it will be hosting a “late night” menu. Mufleh said everything on the late night menu will be entirely different from what will be served during the day starting at 3 a.m. for weekends only.
“You’ll be able to hit up the local scene and then stop in for a cool mix of breakfast food,” Mufleh said. “We’ll be having some late night entertainment and be featuring a mix of fun drinks that tie into our name sake, which is Melt.”
Senior and head of security at the Cla-Zel, Byron Graves, has been working for Mufleh for three years and was asked by Mufleh to work at The Melt Shop once it opens. Graves said the new bar won’t be a place like the Cla-Zel, but it will be more like a pub and for people to relax and enjoy food with a drink. It will be really nice, he said.
“We’re not too worried about other businesses because it’s a new idea,” Graves said. “Bowling Green could use a new spot. It’s a place for kids to come and hang out and watch television, drink and do what they want. It’s a new place to go to and I think we’ll do good.”
Junior Zachary Kocanda plans on going to the new pub-like bar once it opens and said he would be more likely to go to it than the other bars downtown because of the food and it being open so late.
“It’s definitely going to be a draw for me because it will be a good place to sit down and eat late at night,” Kocanda said. “The food will make the place have more appeal to people.”
The Melt Shop will be open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. The late night menu will go into effect on weekends starting at 3 a.m.
“We’re going to have a staple menu with a revolving menu featuring some really cool authentic cuisine,” Mufleh said. “We’re going to be doing some really cool things.”
