POULSBO—The clinking of martini glasses can be heard in the waterfront parking lot of downtown Poulsbo outside the One Ten Lounge & Martini Bar.
Inside, the atmosphere of the One Ten Lounge is calm and laid back, giving its patrons an experience something other than the sometimes tense setting of local bars.
The adult environment is something co-owner Kimberly Cherry sought to accomplish since the first One Ten Lounge opened in December 2007 in Port Orchard, she said.
“When people come here I want them to be able to sit back, relax and behave,” Cherry said. “I don’t want people to have to worry about aggression and fights.”
So far, residents of Poulsbo have received the lounge well, but business has been quiet since the bar opened in May, Cherry said. However, a slow start is not a bad thing when it comes to a new bar; it allows employees to become acquainted with the menu and get up to speed.
In the current economy, business owners are tempted to shrink rather than expand, co-owner Don Ryan said. However, when the opportunity to lease the building became available, Cherry and Ryan pounced.
“This has been a great investment,” Ryan said. “In this economy it is difficult to find profit revenue, but it should make a great addition to Poulsbo.”
Customer requests at the Port Orchard lounge prompted the business partners to open the One Ten Lounge in Poulsbo, Ryan said.
The menu, which consists of more than 110 drinks, is constantly growing and includes classics like cosmopolitans and lemon drops. Others drinks are more extravagant, like the popular Wet Panties, the Naughty Boy or The Vesper, which is based on the character James Bond’s drink of choice.
“Ninety-eight percent of the martinis are my own creations,” Cherry said. “They don’t come from books and come from my own inspiration.”
Cherry has been in the food industry for 33 years and said the menu available at the lounge comes from her experience.
“The concept of the lounge is fantastic,” Ryan said. “People love it.”
Patrons are drawn by the ambiance and jazz music, which is difficult to find in this area, pianist Nando DeCastro said.
DeCastro plays Latin Jazz and contemporary music on Friday nights.
“This (lounge) inspires me to play,” DeCastro said. “The whole place just fits with my style of music and my personality.”
DeCastro began playing piano professionally when he moved to Poulsbo five years ago. He currently volunteers at assistant living and retirement centers like Country Meadows in Silverdale.
DeCastro does not play at the lounge for profit, he plays for free because he enjoys being people indowntown Poulsbo.
While it may be a small contribution, he said he wants to give back to the community.
“I am very thankful to have a place like (the lounge),” DeCastro said. “We are all trying to get out of a recession and opening places like this will enhance our economic situation.”
One Ten Lounge and Martini Bar
18881 Front Street Northeast
Hours:
Monday and Tuesday, 4 -10 p.m.;
Wednesday and Thursday 4 – 11 p.m.;
Friday and Saturday, noon – 12:30 a.m.;
Sunday noon – 10 p.m.
(360) 930-0134
