Ophelia’s, Finnegan’s Wake owners to open new venture

In the wake of Ophelia’s closure June 19, co-owners Anne Baker and Tom Muetzel plan to open a new bar and restaurant this fall at a Park Central Square fixture – the former home of Trolley’s Park Central Pub.

Baker said the 5,000-square-foot space at 107 Park Central Square, dubbed Civil Kitchen and Tap, is leased from DT7 Properties LLC. She declined to disclose terms of the lease or startup costs.

Baker and Muetzel also own Finnegan’s Wake, 305 South Ave., and Sequiota Bike Shop, 3521 S. Lone Pine Ave. With major remodeling work completed, Baker said they anticipate an October or November opening.

“What we wanted to do is make sure we got away from being Trolley’s,” Baker said of renovations, which included removing some interior walls. “I know in the reincarnations of the business it has been several different versions of Trolley’s in the last few years, and it’s important for us that people know there is someone different in here.”

Baker said Thomas Hong, also bar manager at Finnegan’s Wake, and former Ophelia’s manager Clayton Baker will manage the new venture.

“We’re lucky because the restaurant is in three large, different spaces, so we can kind of utilize them in different ways,” Baker said. “We’d like to hit the lunch and dinner crowd pretty hard.”

As with Trolley’s, Baker said the west room facing the square would house the restaurant, with the bar located on the establishment’s east end. Civil Kitchen and Tap plans to operate daily with the kitchen open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends.

“With Ophelia’s closing, that gave us more room to open up when it comes to wine and specialty cocktails, so that’s also something we’re really going to focus on,” Baker said. “You don’t ever want to put all of your eggs in one basket, but you also don’t want to impede on the current business that you have.”

An upstairs area called The Copper Still – named for its pre-existing metalwork – would serve as a lounge area, and specialize in offerings familiar to Ophelia’s, including wine by the glass and handcrafted cocktails, as well as 28 taps for specialty beers.