AKRON, Ohio - Will Hollingsworth wasn’t born with a martini shaker in his hand.
"I got into this business not because I loved cocktails but because I loved bars," said Hollingsworth, whose Spotted Owl is a well-regarded staple that just celebrated its five-year anniversary in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Life was moving so well he opened Spotted Owl in Akron on Oct. 21.
Located in Akron's West Hill neighborhood in the former Chop & Swizzle, Hollingsworth has embraced the area, the space and, yes, cocktails. He puts as much attention into décor as he does the drinks and how they are made.
"Opening a second location is really exciting," he said, but "with a whole new set of challenges. I get to build a cool bar for a living. How great is that?"
He spent three weeks training the staff on service and cocktails, giving them "an opportunity to understand how we do cocktails." That means more than the right amounts; it's about guiding bartenders on the most effective shaking procedures to make the best drinks for customers. It's about consistency and quality, he said.
He learned those traits from past bartending gigs. His Tremont space was opened four to five months before he realized cocktail sales were approaching 90 percent of the bar's business. He realized "whether I built a cocktail bar or not, I own a cocktail bar."
He staged - the informal brief apprentice-learning shifts at restaurants and bars - at cocktail places in New York City, then returned armed with techniques, knowledge and a respect for cocktails.
His manifest destiny to the south isn’t born out of Hollingsworth wanting to own an empire of bars. Rather, the motivating factor is simple: "I wanted it to be a cool place to hang out."
That "cool place" is a larger space than its Tremont counterpart - 75 seats and 3,000 square feet compared to 60 seats and more than 2,200 square feet.
A mural from Dana Oldfather lines the wall behind the bar. Her work that the mural is based on is framed and lit in a back hallway leading to the bathrooms. It was reproduced, transferred and installed almost like vinyl wallpaper, Hollingsworth said. Nolan Beck's handiwork is seen on the back bar made from red oak, its frontis design cut with a router. And VNTG Home crafted the two custom booths.
The building is more than a century old and now draws a mixed clientele - old and young, black and white - all of whom appear to have "good taste and a sense of adventure," said Hollingsworth, who has been in Northeast Ohio for a decade. He grew up in Oregon and previously lived in Washington, D.C.
Look up and you can see the original wooden-beam ceilings with circular cutouts where fire poles used to stand.
Subway tiles line the bar-stool area, and ornate chandeliers hang in the women's room.
He's mulling bringing in live music - possibly blues and jazz - to a corner space equipped with theater curtains and good acoustics.
"This room sounds really, really good. I'm really excited to hear a band in here," he said. "It's such a music town."
For tunes now, expect to hear the likes of Bruce Springsteen one night, Outkast or John Coltrane - "whatever we're feeling."
It's all about offering a comfortable, inviting spot.
"We're here to host a good party," he said, "we're not here to put on a show."
He sees a "bright future" for the diverse neighborhood for his bar, which sits across from Akron's No. 3 firehouse. It’s between Highland Square and downtown Akron.
"It feels good to be planting a flag here," he said.
More on the Spotted Owl in Akron
• It's at 60 S. Maple St., Akron. Hours: 5 p.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
• The bar employs three bartenders, two cooks, two servers and a general manager.
• Four drafts are on - Carlsberg Beer, Bell's Brewery's Two Hearted Ale, Deschutes Brewery's Black Butte Porter and Shacksbury Cider. According to the liquor license, there's no beer or Sunday sales. "I had never heard of it, my liquor inspector had never heard of it," he said of the license's restrictions, adding "I'd love to have a wine bar some time."
• Food is before-dinner noshes, "nothing fried, nothing greasy" on the small nibbles menu. The few menu items aim to serve as an accompaniment to cocktails. Think Spanish olives, dry-cured chorizo and warm figs, and nut mix.
• Shelves behind the bar are not packed, with a few eclectic tchotchkes displayed here and there. A trio of bobbleheads nod along shelves: Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and former presidents Lyndon Johnson and Harry S. Truman. A model Aston Martin car made from Legos. A Johnny Bench-signed baseball. “Bars collect things; that’s what they do best,” Hollingsworth said. But he added: “No cheesy baubles.”