Chicago's Plan B Has a Plan for Success

Chicago’s chic new Plan B is straight-up A-list when it comes to re-thinking the bar business.
    Mark Perres and Ryan Golden opened their establishment in April. Having operated some of the bigger nightclubs in the city, they wanted to do something different. They wanted to open an old-fashioned, feel-good tavern — and a trendy, hip nightclub, and a first-class bar menu — all in the same place.
In short, they wanted to give their customers everything.
    “We realized that a lot of customers were tired of the hassles and expense of an elite nightclub, with cover charges and bottle service prices,” Golden says. “But that didn’t mean they were tired of the quality experience you get at a nightclub. We thought, why not come up with the best of all worlds — the comfort of your beloved dive, the luxury and service of a premier nightclub and food that is worthy of a great restaurant? We even added some touches that we got from old school lounges.”
    The result was Plan B. “We thought of how some of the best nights we’d ever had were when we abandoned the idea of going to the latest hot spot and decided to opt for a familiar favorite,” Golden says. “Going to ‘Plan B,’ we called it. There’s always Plan B.”

The Vibe
    Plan B has been an unqualified hit in the trendy Wicker Park neighborhood. At 2,300-square-feet, it’s an intimate masterpiece. It features leather lounge chair seating, but it also has a regular bar with bar stools and, yep, draft beer. It has a custom sound and lighting system and Italian black crystal chandeliers to provide the edginess of a nightclub, but these touches are balanced by lots of wood and vintage wallpaper, to give customers the cozy feel of a favorite watering hole.
    Early in the night, the lights are brighter and the music provides
an eclectic background ambience for meeting and greeting. Later on, things begin to swirl as the lights dim and throb and the music shifts into dance-mode.
“People come in and say, ‘This is what I’ve been looking for!’ They also say, ‘I love this place, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.’ That’s exactly what we were going for — something both new and familiar. There’s a little bit of everything here, but everything is done well. We value quality.”

The Drinks
    Plan B carries beers that Golden describes as “nostalgic,” such as cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Natural Light and bottles of Miller High Life and Mickey’s. In addition, they have plenty of micro-brews for the connoisseur. And if you’re in the mood for a private table and bottle service, that’s what you get.
    “There’s basically one question here,” Golden says. “What do you want? We’ll make that happen for you. If you don’t want draft beer, how about an upscale, seasonal cocktail menu? We try to use local flavors whenever possible. We try to stay fresh on our feet by creating an atmosphere where things are done right and yet at the same time things aren’t taken too seriously.”
    Cocktails ought to be fun, after all. Tipping their hats to the popular film “Wedding Crashers,” Plan B serves up the Motorboatin’ Son of a Bitch. “Built for speed or for comfort,” as the menu promises, this one is a shot of Van Gogh Acai Blueberry and Godiva White Chocolate liquor. For the politically-minded, there’s Cirôc Obama, made from Cirôc, a splash of Chambord and lemonade served with a grape sugar rim.
    Want to “really tie the room together,” as the menu puts it? Try The Dude (a.k.a. double espresso Caucasian) a scintillating mix of Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka and Starbucks coffee liqueur milk.
    Hot weather brings another specialty: Plan B Snow Cones.
    “Call us childish if you want,” the menu allows. But guests make no such rude remarks after ordering up a cone of crushed ice and either Mount Gay rum or Imperia vodka, flavored with one of the following: Bahama Mama, Blue Hawaiian, Coconut Hawaiian, Mai Tai, Strawberry Daiquiri, Hurricane — the list goes on.
    Referencing “Anchorman” is the attention-grabbing Sex Panther cocktail. Of course, there’s always the Pabst, which for some is sexy enough.

The Service
    This combination of playfulness and quality guides Plan B’s food service too.
“We’re foodies,” Golden says. “A lot of our food is high-end bar food. There’s an enormous amount of TLC in what we prepare. Everything is homemade and fresh. And the kitchen stays open until an hour before close every day.”
    Patrons can start with crispy parmesan and waffle fries or tempura fried Spanish olives stuffed with chorizo sausage. Perhaps you’re in the mood for Plan B Mac & Cheese, a creamy concoction of Velveeta and sliced all-beef hotdogs. There are gourmet burgers and sandwiches, and for desert, there’s a classic root beer float, chocolate fondue or churros (Mexican doughnuts served with ice cream).

The Brand
    Golden believes he and his partner have identified a market that is underserved.
“You know, you get past your mid-20s, and you just don’t want all the trouble that comes with going to a club,” he says. “You don’t want to drop $600 in one night. You want to be able to have a conversation. And yet, that doesn’t mean you want to give up on having a good time in an exciting place.”
    A self-professed marketing junkie who worked for an ad agency and whose educational background is in advertising, Golden insists that creating success is about branding. “Your favorite places are brands. I firmly believe that,” Golden says. “Our whole approach here was to try to create a brand. The physical component, the building, the atmosphere, the drinks, the food, the music — those are all the package for the brand. The brand is the thing. And we’re brand builders.”
Golden’s motto might be distilled as follows: If you brand it, they will come. Plan B has proven the wisdom of that.
    “Most people engage in tactics,” he says. “They have tactics for marketing and promotion. They have specials and events. That’s not our philosophy. We’re all about brand building. When you do that, you end up with long-term, loyal customers.”
    Branding takes patience, clear vision and attention to detail, all of which are evident in every aspect of Plan B.
    “A lot of people in this business are reactive,” Golden says. “If numbers are down one week, they cook up a scheme to fix it. We’ve gone a different route.”