A North Lakeland bar owner is looking to open a new cocktail lounge in the heart of downtown, but some are questioning whether there’s already enough liquor flowing.
Jeremiah Joaquim, owner of CJ Vapes & Lounge, filed an application with the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority for its support in opening up The Velvet Swan, a refined cocktail lounge, at 125 S. Kentucky Ave. The 2,200-square-foot space was previously occupied by Dissent Brewing.
“We’re focusing more on high-end cocktails curated toward a wide variety of professional clientele. A more upscale environment for creatives to come together and communalize together, socialized for business, professional or what have you,” he said to LDDA board members on June 26.
Joaquim said the drinks will be toward the higher-end pricing, to avoid drawing a potential troublesome crowd.
“My experience already owning a bar is that the cheaper the alcohol, the more people tend to do,” he said. “It leads to issues like fights, disruptions, and things of that nature.”
His plans are for a creative but relaxing ambiance, as he said the lounge’s layout will have more couches, club chairs, and furniture designed to inspire personal conversation. The overall interior layout will remain the same as Dissent.
“We’re not structurally planning on changing anything,” he said. “The building was built out for a bar, and most of what you need is already in place.”
There are no plans for immediate food service, according to Joaquim, but he does hope to start offering small hors d’oeuvres, possibly charcuterie boards, in the future. There are no designs for a full kitchen menu.