Just off Patton Avenue, Church Street is exactly what it sounds like: a street with many churches. But the owners of The Altamont Theatre hope to add some more nightlife to the block with a bar and restaurant inspired by the atmosphere of their venue.
“Traditionally, in a theater environment, or even in a music venue, a green room is where artists hang out pre-show,” says Brian Lee, who co-owns the Altamont Theatre with his wife, Tiffany Hampton.
Just up the street from the theater, in the space formerly occupied by Treasure Keepers antiques, Lee and Hampton will open The Green Room, a space for theater patrons, musicians, diners and drinkers.
The new venture will observe longer hours than the theater, opening for lunch and closing around midnight, but it will have a similar, warm feel, with hardwood floors and exposed-brick walls. “We call it sophisticated but not stuffy,” Hampton says.
The concept is still in the works, but a few details are definite. For one thing, lunch service will focus on sandwiches and Belgian-style pommes frites. “I lived in Europe for a while, and I spent about a year in Brussels,” Lee says. “I love true Belgian pommes frites.” He also enjoys the many dipping sauces that come with the fries and plans to include them on the menu.
The courtyard behind the building will be open for al fresco dining under the shady trees that dot the area. “It's a feel-good street, it really is,” Hampton says.
The full bar will carry a wide range of products for both budgeters and connoisseurs. Wines could range from $6 to $25 per glass, Lee explains. He plans to have a nitrogen wine preserver to make by-the-glass sales of high-end wines feasible.
“This is the prettiest street downtown, in my opinion,” he says. “We're trying to pull more people over.”
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