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    Friday, November 08, 2024

    ‘Dangerbar’ coming to Factory Square in Mystic

    Mystic ― A new nautical-themed bar called Dangerbar is being planned for Factory Square in downtown Mystic.

    Mystic resident Mantas Laureckis, owner and operator of Dangerbar LLC, said he’s been in the hospitality business for 17 years and working for 12 years in Mystic. He said his dream has always been to open a bar to serve local people and tourists.

    “I really, really would love that space to be where everybody connects with each other,” Laureckis said in a phone interview.

    He said the approximately 500-square-foot bar, with about 28 seats, will be small but welcoming. He said he wants local people to come to the bar and have a conversation and to create a space where people can forget all their problems and have a good time.

    The bar would be located in a commercial unit, which formerly was a retail store and hair salon, in the 60,000-square-foot mixed-used building at 12 Water St. Factory Square has 43 apartments and six commercial spaces.

    Laureckis said he loves Mystic and has lived there for 12 years ― the past five years on the Groton side. In line with the shoreline area, he said the bar’s theme will be nautical. The “Dangerbar” name is a nod to the signs warning sailors of the danger of rough waters.

    He said he is aiming to open the bar in the beginning of October.

    The Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday approved a site plan and a special permit to convert the existing commercial space into a bar in the Mystic Downtown District.

    During the public hearing, one person spoke in support of the application, saying it would be good for the town and the community. The commission also received a petition with 21 signatures in support of the application, as well as a letter opposing another bar in downtown Mystic and citing a lack of parking in the area.

    Laureckis told the commission that all the construction will be in the interior of the unit and will be minor. He plans to replace the outside light fixtures with downward-facing lights in line with historic district standards.

    He said he does not anticipate any disturbance to the neighborhood. There will not be an outdoor patio, and he plans to install sound-proofing insulation to provide extra noise-dampening.

    Laureckis said the business will serve cocktails and drinks and “small bites,” such as olives, baguettes, chips and pretzels.

    Laureckis said the planned hours are 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday, and noon-1 a.m. Friday-Sunday.

    According to a town summary of the application, Factory Square leases a total of 111 “non-exclusive parking spaces” at the Mystic Museum of Art parking lot, and Laureckis’ lease provides the right to four spaces at the lot.

    The approximately 250-square-foot seating and standing area of the bar typically would require 5 parking spaces, but only 3 parking spaces are required with a 50% parking requirement reduction in the Mystic Downtown District.

    Laureckis said there are other opportunities to park in downtown Mystic, including other spaces in the Mystic Art Museum parking lot, parking on downtown streets, and a parking lot on Pearl Street.

    k.drelich@theday.com

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