Julia Jaksic
Julia Jaksic and Eric Lincoln, co-owners of the popular Cafe Roze and Roze Pony, are opening a new bar downtown. Their soon-to-be-hot spot will be located in Arcade Alley, as part of the Dryden Architecture + Design Arcade restoration project.
The team, known and beloved for their all-day cafes, have “bar business in their veins,” Jaksic says, and are excited to open their first bar in Nashville. The yet-to-be-named bar will be nestled in a 1,600-square-foot space that was formerly used as a storage area or garage by other Arcade businesses and had largely been forgotten until Nick Dryden started his work. The space features original brick walls, and tall, black tin ceilings and is accessible from the alley near The Peanut Shop. (It didn’t have windows in its previous life, but that will soon change.)
“Working in a very small space has its challenges, but we are used to working with unique spaces,” Lincoln says. The size will lend an intimate vibe to the spot. “It will feel good if you only have 10 people in — of course, we hope there will be more — and it will feel great when you have 30." Jaksic hopes the space will feel like a special find for bar-goers downtown.
Eric Lincoln
While they haven’t nailed down a name or a menu, the spot “will have the soul and ethos of our brand,” Lincoln promises. Jaksic hopes that regulars at Cafe Roze and Roze Pony will feel welcome at a downtown spot. The bar menu will include specialty cocktails and limited small, shared plates.
Structural engineering and other non-sexy essential tasks are underway now. Jaksic and Dryden are collaborating on the look of the space, which will be influenced by midcentury and Deco Italian design. The plan is for the new bar to be open seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., although that, like life, is subject to change. The team plans to open the bar in the fall of 2023. The address will be 15B Arcade Alley.
