It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

John Petkovic
December 04, 2024

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It’s December 4th, which means there are about 640 hours left in the year. Make them count so you don’t have to make a bunch of New Year’s resolutions to make up for what you didn’t do in ’24.

Hey, there are a lot of things to do from here on out. December brings openings and closings, concerts and parties – not to mention all sorts of Christmas pop-up bars. It makes the evenings merrier and waking up a little harder. Get up with us.

And away we go…

In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:

Big Bang leaving; ‘80s/’90s dance club coming to Flats East Bank
Guardians lose Matthew Boyd to the Cubs
Much-anticipated Friar’s Table restaurant to open in Playhouse Square
Black Friday: Winners and Losers
A guide to Cleveland Christmas bar
Descending on Cleveland: ‘Hundreds of Beavers’

Let’s get to it.

John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Vitor Takakura, & Matt Vakuda

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IN THE NEWS

Big Bang is leaving; ‘80s/’90s dance club to take its place in Flats East Bank

Photo courtesy of Big Bang Dueling Pianos Bar

When the Big Bang Dueling Pianos Bar opened in 2015, it was hailed as an anchor establishment in the Flats East Bank.

The 4,700-square-foot dueling-pianos club attracted loud and boisterous partyers, who would sing, dance, drink and laugh along to performers banging out renditions of, yes, Billy Joel and Neil Diamond, as well as pop standards, country ditties and contemporary hits.

Those days are coming to an end: The Big Bang is closing its doors in January. Make way for Decades – an ‘80s and ‘90s-style dance club that will move into the 1163 Front Avenue space in the Flats East Bank.

Bryan Dall, president of BCD Properties, a regional estate investment company, purchased Big Bang in 2023 from Big Bang founder Sam Leatherwood, of Nashville.

The new club won’t seem new all that new to anyone that partied in the Flats in ‘80s and ‘90s – back when the Flats was populated by high-energy dance-and-party spots like the Basement or Rumrunners.

Dall plans to open Decades in March after a two-month renovation of the space that will include new décor, lighting and a dance floor. He plans to incorporate the pianos, though, as part of a pre-dance-party show.

Guardians have another hole in rotation: Boyd signs with Cubs

Photo courtesy MLB/Guardians.

The Guardians went into the off-season with holes to fill in its starting rotation. Another one opened up Monday, when left-handing pitcher Matthew Boyd signed a two-year $29 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB Network.

Boyd, 34, returned from Tommy John surgery and signed a one-year contract with the Guardians last season. He pitched in eight games with a 2.72 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He was impressive in three starts in the playoffs, allowing one run in 11 2/3 innings, including a Game 5 win over the Tigers and Game 3 win against the Yankees.

Much-anticipated Friar’s Table set to open in Playhouse Square

Photo courtesy Playhouse Square

The closing of Zack Bruell’s Cowell & Hubbard left a void in the Playhouse Square foodie scene. Come Friday, the void will be filled by Friar’s Table.

The latest project by restaurateur Brandon Chrostowski will roll out a menu inspired by monastic cuisine. As in, a variety of soups, cabbage, potato salad, eggplant and entrées that include his idiosyncratic takes on cod, pork and salmon.

Chrostowski will bring some of the sensibilities of his Shaker Square spot, Edwin’s, to Friar’s Table. It’s a joint venture with Cleveland Capuchin Ministries and, like Edwin’s, will focus on employing and giving a sense of purpose and community to people that were formerly incarcerated or homeless or are impoverished.

The location – 1305 Euclid Avenue – is owned by Playhouse Square, which has encouraged and sought out restaurateurs to make the theater district a dining destination.

Black Friday and the Shopping Season: Winners and losers

Photo courtesy Walmart

While inflation has trended lower since 2021, it remains above historical averages – and the cumulative inflation since ’21 has tapped the budgets of consumers.

Americans owe $1.166 trillion in credit card debt, the highest since the Federal Reserve Bank of New York started tracking the data in 1999. Meanwhile, the average annual percentage rate sits at 24.62 percent, hovering around all-time highs.

As a result, increases in consumer spending isn’t necessarily a barometer of economic health, since it is skewed higher by inflation.

Now, on to the stats on Black Friday and the shopping season:

U.S. retail sales (excluding auto sales) were up 3.4% compared to Black Friday last year, according to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report, which measured in-store and online retail sales, included all payment types and was not adjusted for inflation.
Consumers aren’t waiting for Cyber Monday: According to Salesforce, Friday online sales in the U.S. rose 7 percent year over year, while Adobe found that they rose 10.2 percent.
AI: One-fifth of those surveyed by Adobe said they used chatbots to find deals, with 19 percent using them to find items and 15 percent using them for brand recommendations.
Toy sales, which have struggled this year, had a good Black Friday, with online sales up 622% compared to average daily sales last month, according to Adobe. Top sellers included: Harry Potter Lego sets; “Wicked” merchandise; card and board games; Disney Princess toys and dolls.
Black Friday store traffic was down 3.2 percent overall year over year with foot traffic down seven percent in the Midwest.
Black Friday has long been hailed for its deals and discounts. This year provided another reason for price cuts, as retailers sought to clear out inventory that could be subjected to Trump tariffs. Adobe found that “discounts exceeded expectations” and were a purchase motivator for toys, electronics, televisions, apparel, computers and sporting goods.

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THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas bars are everywhere…

Christmas is more than a month away and, yet, here we are, partaking in holiday parties every night. Christmas pop-up bars and Christmas soirees are hitting Cleveland in full force. Here we go…

Christmas Corner Bar: Yeah, yeah, all sorts of Christmas joints are popping up all over the place. Around the Corner – 1816 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood – did it first. You know that means: four decades of Christmas lights all over the walls turning the bar into a glowing ball of charm. I might add: I prefer the martinis over the karaoke.

XMAS Bar at HI 5: Whoa, this looks like the holiday display at Macy’s NYC. Except the party-hearty lot here drinks and flirt a lot more than even the most decadent of department stores shoppers. The pop-up – 1052 Old River Road, in the Flats East Bank – glows with Christmas trees, ornaments and party vibes.

Miracle on West 25^th Street: Dammit, I want a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Well, well, might as well call Nano Brew Santa Claus. The bar – 1859 West 25th Street, Cleveland – has transformed into Miracle on West 25th Street and rolls out themed décor and drinks, including an exotic, sweet and vodka-charged elixir.

Christmas Island: After a few drinks, you’ll think that you’re wasting away in Santaritaville. Whoa, Margaritaville – 1150 Front Avenue, in the Flats East Bank – has traded in its island motif for a winter wonderland, complete with holiday décor and Christmas-themed drinks. It’s Christmas Island. Wait, are those Christmas trees or palm trees with lights hanging all over them? I think it’s the latter, or maybe I’ve just had too many of these Tequila-powered Deck the Halls drinks. The Margarita Holliday Pop-Bar runs through Jan. 5.

Igloos and vodka to stay warm: It’s a leafy green getaway and feels like a park when it’s summer. Ah, but the leaves are gone and it’s cold outside. Fear not, Vosh/Georgetown -- 1414 Riverside Drive in Lakewood – has transformed its patio into a winter wonderland. The restaurant-bar has added holiday lights and decorations and, yes, igloos, to its sprawling patio.

Miracle on East Fourth Street: Love to hit Society Lounge -- 2063 East Fourth Street, Cleveland – every December 7 to raise a snazzy cocktail to celebrate the end of Prohibition. This year, there’s another reason. The basement lounge with the impeccable drink list will is rolling out Miracle on East Fourth Street – a holiday theme with winter décor and Christmas drinks.

Secret Cellar Christmas Bar: The basement of Great Lakes Brewing – 2516 Market Avenue -- always has a homey, warm vibe about it. Add seasonality and a themed drink list and, yes, you are in the Secret Cellar Christmas Bar. Note: You don’t really have to wear an ugly sweater to this, but, hey, who’s stopping you…

NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

“Hundreds of Beavers.” Photo courtesy Cleveland Cinematheque

6:30 p.m. Thursday Dec. 5

“Hundreds of Beavers” at the Cleveland Cinematheque, 11610 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland: Made in 2022 for a paltry $150,000, this slapstick comedy seemed destined to get lost amid the tens of thousands of other low-budget flicks in the video-on-demand abyss. Instead, it’s become the cult hit of ’24 and a critics’ darling. It tells the story of a 19^th century trapper who battles an army of beavers (played by humans in weird costumes) that ransacked his applejack distillery. Imagine a 1920s silent movie comedy crossed with “Eraserhead” and a demented Wes Anderson flick.

6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

Christmas Corner Bar Holiday Market Pop Up, Around the Corner, 18616 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood: ATC celebrated its 50^th anniversary in September. It’s been a mainstay for a variety of reasons. Yes, because it’s a festive and old-school corner bar, but also because it hosts events such as this holiday market, which pairs vendors with merry-makers.

5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5

Nightmare Before Christmas Pop Up at the Foundry, 11729 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood: The rock club will host a Christmas party with themed food and cocktail menus.

A legendary theater from the past celebrates its 100th birthday… and looks for new life

Photo by John Petkovic

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