The new bar in the neighborhood opened its doors to the public last night. MarBar, a counterpart to Marathon Grill, celebrated its opening on Wednesday night for its Center City loyalists, welcoming them to the neighborhood, but definitively opened its doors to the Penn community Thursday night.
Seeing the bar for the first time, College junior David Hochfelder said, "It's as cool as a New York bar -- it's magical. I will definitely come here a lot."
While the bar, located above Marathon Grill, is open to the entire community, it will be specially priced and geared toward students.
"I see this as being a Penn bar," said Cary Borish, co-owner of Marathon Grill. Borish, whose mother started the Marathon Grill restaurant chain, said he is very excited to bring MarBar to the Penn community.
Thursday night's opening kicked off with an open bar party from 8 to 9 p.m. for intimate friends and family members, and opened to the public at 9 p.m. with no cover charge and DJ King Britt spinning the music.
The concept behind the bar, Borish said, is to present students with a "Center City lounge meets college bar" atmosphere, in which everyone can "just have fun."
"I think it's the kind of place Penn students have been waiting for. It's sophisticated without being pretentious," Wharton senior Isaac Flanagan said.
The large lounge space should allow students to do just that. People can dance on the platforms around the lounge, while there are also three different bars and bottle service for tables.
In a few weeks, the bar will offer a happy hour starting at 5 p.m., during which students can order from the downstairs restaurant. A bar menu will be available from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m.
While it is unclear at the moment whether happy hour will happen outside during the fall -- the restaurant has tables lining the sidewalk -- an outdoor happy hour is certain to be a bar staple by the spring.
The bar will be offering up some of its specialties from its downtown location, including a cotton candy martini and chocolate-covered banana martini. For those on a budget, there are drink discounts for lager and well drinks.
Another feature of the bar will be nights of the week geared to different themes. Borish says each night will include a separate and distinctive theme, such as "Hazy Hours" at 5 p.m. on Sundays, during which the bar will offer hookah pipes. Wednesday nights, the bar will offer House DJ Lucas Rivera spinning Latin music with a live percussion backup.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.