Club to open in old Montego Cafe space

Club to open in old Montego Cafe space
Club to open in old Montego Cafe space

If you’re distracted by some bass rattling while walking to Bruno’s for dinner in the next few weeks, it’s likely coming from 315 Main St.

Level, a new dance club/ultralounge/restaurant/happy hour spot, is set to open Thursday (aka Halloween) in the space formerly known as Montego Cafe. The spot will be open 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and includes lounge seating on the ground floor and a dance floor below.

The 10,000-square-foot space also includes a full kitchen where co-owner Brad McCray says a mix of large and small plates will be dished out. On the menu, according to McCray: smoked ribs, burger sliders, beer-battered chicken, hummus, caprese salad, guacamole and empanadas. A little random? Sure. But McCray thinks it will be the right mix to satisfy downtown workers who stop in for happy hour early, as well as hungry masses on the dance floor.

McCray says he and co-owner Steven Velek (who currently own Bear’s Den Pizza in Conway) are hoping to draw crowds by being one of the few true nightclub offerings downtown. The dance floor will be commanded by local DJ James Reyes, who served as resident DJ at McCray’s former Little Rock spot On The Rocks, which closed in 2010.

And what exactly do they mean by nightclub? Think buzzwords like “VIP offerings,” “dress code enforced” and “Vegas-like light displays.”

“As far as our dress code goes, we don’t want to have a big sign that has all the dos and don’ts,” McCray says. “It’s more about style and fashion, and I think it looks unclassy. But we’ll have a sign that says ‘Private Club Dress Code Enforced.’”

As for what that means exactly, McCray says it’s simply stylish club wear.

“If you have to ask, you probably just don’t get it,” McCray says.

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