Tony DeSalvo refers to The Stuffed Olive, Double Tap Beercade and Roxxy as the “perfect night out.” Open for business since August 12 on the first floor of the ōLiv apartments at the corner of State Street and Gorham Street, the bars offer a wide range of experiences in one location.
“We picked Madison because it has the best of all worlds,” DeSalvo, CEO of the three bars’ parent company Harmonic Hospitality Group, told The Daily Cardinal. “You go four or five blocks this way, and you’ve got the campus. You go four or five blocks that way, and you’ve got the capital.”
At The Stuffed Olive, a mostly traditional cocktail bar, the space is brightly lit, and the music is calm and quiet. The menu offers homemade flatbreads, tapas spreads and more than 100 unique cocktails.
DeSalvo envisions groups of friends or coworkers starting their night here.
“Here, you can start a little lower key,” DeSalvo said. “It’s comfortable, the music is a bit more mellow, we have a menu of easy, shareable foods.”
After spending some time at The Stuffed Olive, DeSalvo imagines patrons migrating next door to the Double Tap Beercade for a change in atmosphere.
In the much more energetic space, rows of arcade games line the walls and fill the floor, with games ranging from Pac-Man and Pinball to Terminator and Mortal Kombat. DeSalvo told the Cardinal the bar will continue to expand the number of arcade games they have available and hopes to host gaming events, such as a pinball league. The space also has a bar serving fresh pizza and drinks.
“Here, you’re gonna play some games. Maybe until 8:30 or quarter to nine,” DeSalvo said. “Why? Roxxy.”
At Roxxy, bar goers are thrust into a new environment themed around music and pop culture through the ages. Lining the walls around the dining area and bar are photos of pop icons like Freddie Mercury, Mr. T and Gwen Stefani. Instruments hang from the ceiling, and vintage handpicked cassette tapes wallpaper structural columns from floor to ceiling.
“The best way to describe Roxxy is as an entertainment venue that pays tribute to all music,” DeSalvo said. “You’ll hear music from the ‘60s all the way to modern day. It’s also multi-purpose.”
Roxxy’s main seating area is large, featuring a stage, DJ booth and full bar. This is where DeSalvo imagines people will finish their night with a live entertainment experience. DeSalvo said he will use the space to host bands, comedians, DJs, private events and potentially even theater. Roxxy will host its first live show — The Spazmatics — on Sept. 18 and 25.
Taken together, DeSalvo said the three neighboring bars contribute “to that perfect night out.”
“Rather than bar-hopping, you can stay here the entire night,” DeSalvo said.
Making an impact
Originating in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Harmonic Hospitality Group has nine locations across Iowa and Nebraska. But their Wisconsin debut comes with challenges.
With large housing companies like Core Spaces, the owners of the ōLiv apartments, building unaffordable apartment buildings and the increase in larger businesses leaving local owners stressed, there is concern chains will push out smaller businesses.
But DeSalvo said this will not be the case here.
Harmonic Hospitality Group has found a match with Core Spaces and strives to foster relationships with the Madison community, according to DeSalvo. A key component of the relationship is the long-term commitment from both businesses to stay in Madison, he said.
In the early days of construction, DeSalvo and others established lines of communication with surrounding businesses, he said.
“It’s not just an investment in dollars and cents. Organizations like us and Core Spaces want to invest in downtown,” DeSalvo said. “The most important thing is knowing it’s not going to be an overnight situation.”
One of the ways Harmonic Hospitality Group hopes to invest in the area is by bringing new jobs to State Street. DeSalvo hopes to fill over 100 positions, many of them seeking incoming students looking for work. Their website’s career page invites anyone to apply.
The spaces are still in their early days, and this is new territory for the company, but DeSalvo said that if they stay true to their core values, they can have a positive impact on Madison.
“We believe in purpose, caring and learning,” DeSalvo said. “That’s what we want to live by.”
Marco is a features writer for The Daily Cardinal. He is an English and History major and has experience covering local businesses.
