'Good Citizen' Moves Closer to Opening Day

Good Citizen, the upcoming watering hole in the former Online Cafe space on E Olive Way, is inching closer to opening its doors. Owner Andrew Friedman tells Eater that he's putting the finishing touches on the space and is almost ready to move in equipment. He's also still planning to bring in food trucks to take over the kitchen for two or three month stints.

Friedman, who also owns sibling 15th Ave. bar Liberty, says there's been "a lot of interest" from local food truck owners. He's focused on partnering with trucks that are, "the most serious who are looking for next step," which includes having the resources to put together staff and develop a menu with a kitchen that lacks a fryer and grill.

According to Friedman, the drink program and seating area filled with couches and communal tables will be "laid back, like a get together at someone's house." The bar menu will change up to a couple of times each week and feature, "different pre-batches of interesting cocktails that we'll be able to put together quickly so we can really focus on the service and atmosphere," Friedman says. "The cocktails will just be a medium for having a great time."

Friedman lived near his forthcoming bar decades back and has seen the street develop. He first moved near E Olive Way in 1991, "Two months after 'Nevermind' came out," he says. "Nothing was the same afterward." He's attracted to the location because it's still a part of the Hill that has kept its character and isn't overpriced. "I know the neighborhood," he says. "It's a beloved space, I'm lucky to have it."

Good Citizen's original March launch date has been pushed back. "Every day we get so much accomplished, then it just continues," Friedman says. Doors may open in April, but the final date remains in flux. Track the bar's progress over onFacebook .
[Photo: Liberty]
· Liberty [Official Site]
· Good Citizen [Facebook]