re: Whiskey/Bourbon/Scotch appreciation thread Volume II

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A group of local investors led by Cardinal Capital principal Rob Powell has acquired the assets of the recently shuttered Lock and Key Whiskey Bar and plan to reopen the establishment at its 5110 Corporate Blvd. location under the new name Hayride Scandal.

In a deal that closed earlier this month, Powell and his partners acquired the furniture, fixtures, equipment and inventory from Lock and Key owners Gary Bynum and Bubba Phillips for an undisclosed price. Brandalyn Tabor and Arthur Lauck, who ran Lock and Key for more than three years, had a management contract with Bynum and Phillips and were the public face of the establishment.

Under its new ownership, Hayride Scandal will have a different look and feel than its predecessor. Powell—who spent years in the marketing and development of several national public companies, including Rainforest Café and Grand Casinos—describes it as a high-end drinking establishment that, as its name suggests, hearkens back to a bygone era. He estimates the partnership will spend some $40,000 overhauling the space.

“We’re going to redo the interior,” he says. “You’ll see some high-back, textured chairs, not so dark, and there will be quite a bit of attention to detail. Not so much the traditional speakeasy but hearkening back to a much more scandalous and casual mindset.”

Hayride Scandal will target professionals and will serve an expanded menu of craft cocktails and spirits. It will also featured a limited menu of bar snacks, but its primary focus will be drinks.

“It won’t be uncommon to find a $14 craft cocktail on the menu,” he says.

Powell and his partners hope Hayride Scandal will be the first of several such establishments in the market. Already they have letters of intent to lease two other spaces if all goes well with their first venture.

“We’re looking to create mixologists who have their own brand,” he says. “We’re planning to grow.”

Hayride Scandal is tentatively scheduled to open in late March.

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