New cocktail lounge with speakeasy vibe to open in Union Event space in downtown Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The alleyway entrance to a new second-floor cocktail lounge in downtown gives off the vibe of a modern-day speakeasy.
But owners hope you’ll find it more inviting and accessible than the secretly run, incognito bars of yesteryear.
The Lounge, a cozy new bar inside Union Event Space, 112 N. Second St., is slated to hold an open-house style grand opening this Saturday during Stroll on State.
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The owners set out to create a space where mid-century modern style meets luxury. They’ll serve classic, upscale cocktails such as an old fashioned and Manhattan, and other drinks including raspberry gin fizz, cucumber margarita and a spicy bloody Mary. Most of the drinks will range around $12.
The finishes include marble tabletops and a green velvet couch for you to relax on with a good book or play one of the board games stocked in the lounge.
“We just want it to be a comfortable hangout,” said Josiah Vander Heyden, a Realtor and civil engineer who is part of the ownership team at Union Event Space.
Vander Heyden and his wife, Allison, along with his sister Aubrey Kohler, and her husband, Jonathan, own the event space and lounge.
They bought the former UAW Hall in December 2020, and began a yearlong renovation process a month later before hosting their first wedding in January 2022.
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They see The Lounge as both a weekend hangout spot and a potential place for smaller special events.
“After almost two years of operations, a lot of people would like a smaller, more intimate setting for smaller birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, stuff like that,” said Aubrey Kohler, an architectural engineer by trade. “We found that there’s a very large demand for smaller events in the 50- to 75-person range.”
It could also be used for cocktail-making classes or small gathers such as paint-and-sip events. It will be open on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the year.
“We’re kind of just going to play it by ear and see the demand and just adjust after that,” Kohler said.
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The families bought the 20,000-square-foot building for $75,000 nearly three years ago and have invested more than $1 million into renovations so far.
Vander Heyden, a Rockford native and Guilford High School grad, and Kohler, a Christian Life graduate, said they’ve been investing all earnings back into the building.
“A lot of our motivation was an old building that needed to be improved and not be a blight in our town,” Vander Heyden said. “I want people to have fun in Rockford.”
About | The Lounge at Union Event Space
Where: 112 N. Second St., Rockford
Grand opening: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25
Hours: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
On the web: unionrockford.com/the-lounge; Facebook page HERE
Contact: 815-222-4093; events@unionrockford.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
