A new vintage rock ‘n’ roll nightclub, complete with a mechanical motorcycle, will roll out onto Mill Avenue this September.
Located near Fifth Street, School of Rock will take the place of the location’s previous nightclub, Cherry Lounge and Pit, which closed Saturday.
ASU alumni Lars Havens, 28, and Kevin Guinan, 33, are the owners of the new nightclub.
After graduating from ASU in 2006 with a nursing degree, Havens decided to pursue a career in the bar industry. He has more than 10 years experience working in the industry. Guinan graduated with a degree in finance and currently works as a financial investor and is contributing to the bar on the side.
“All of Cherry is coming down,” Havens said. “We want to have a 100 percent different reputation than before.”
Cherry Lounge owners had been under order from the Tempe Police Department to sell their business, which had violated several codes and had its license revoked, said Casaundra Brown, spokeswoman for Downtown Tempe Community.
School of Rock will make its debut Sept. 10 with a large night party, complete with a cover band, disc jockey and Red Bull athlete Thomas Oehler performing BMX tricks on the bar.
The new nightclub is taking a sharp turn away from the cherry red walls that once adorned its predecessor. In its place will hang funky guitars and decorations fit for a schoolroom.
“We really want to re-vibe the nightclub industry on Mill,” Havens said. “There are a lot of bars but we are going to be the only feature nightclub.”
Currently, most Valley nightclubs are located in Old Town Scottsdale, Havens said. School of Rock will be the first of its kind in Tempe.
As a longtime member of the ASU community, Havens is invested in making the club geared toward the college demographic. He hopes to schedule well-known musical acts like Korn and Weezer on Thursday nights.
“We wanted to have live music that is close to ASU but isn’t super expensive either,” Havens said.
Construction plans include creating a live music stage as well as a drum stage, all repainted and redone in a rock ‘n’ roll vintage theme.
“All the bars and clubs on Mill are kind of the same, with the same music and look,” he said. “We wanted to offer something that no one else has.”
The bar will offer a little something for everyone, Havens said. It is going to be a very diverse type of crowd.
Because of legalities of Cherry and unemployment insurance, all current employees will be let go, and a completely new process of hiring will take place, he said.
Beginning Monday, Havens is looking to fill all positions within the new club, and hopes to hire interested ASU students.
“Any great person who wants a job, is ultra talented and looking for a place to shine would find this a great place to work,” Havens said.
One tradition that will not be carried over into the new bar is Cherry’s 18-and-over nights.
In the past, every Thursday night has been an 18-and-up night at Cherry, which no other bar on Mill Avenue featured.
“You have to take it really seriously to do it on Mill Avenue,” said Jason Geise-Owens, a senior associate at Cherry Lounge. “Even as we changed ownership, the liquor board was in here making sure everything was OK.”
New safety regulations will also be implemented by the new partners, starting with a strong relationship with the Tempe Police Department.
Stricter ID checks and increased security personnel will help keep School of Rock open exclusively to those 21 and up, Havens said.
Most of the previous issues at Cherry weren’t necessarily with the underage drinking, but issues with acts of violence, Havens said. There was a rough crowd associated with the bar.
In July 2010, Cherry Lounge received a two-week suspension on its liquor license because of seven acts of violence that had taken place at the club, said Jason Geise-Owens, a senior employee at Cherry Lounge.
“The liquor board on Mill Avenue is always involved,” he said. “Whenever you open up a bar within a mile of an educational campus, the liquor board is all over you.”
At least four other businesses have opened on Mill in the last month alone, and there are more to come throughout the fall, Brown said.
“Even with the bad economy, Mill Avenue has never had a drop in foot traffic or interest from businesses,” she said. “We have experienced some stalled development, which has led to some empty spaces, but not any more than other downtown areas throughout the Valley.”
Reach the reporter at amoswalt@asu.edu
