Danny’s on Professor Aims to Revive the Late-Night Fun in Tremont

In advance of a move to the former Nick’s Diner property in Ohio City, partners Michael Griffin and Dave Ferrante closed Proof Bar-BQ last December. Now, those owners have a plan to help resuscitate Tremont’s feeble late-night entertainment scene. Sometime next month they will open Danny’s on Professor in that snug lower-level space.

Those plans just took on greater relevance with the recent closure of Edison’s Next Door Pizza, says Griffin.

“It’s just crazy,” he says. “You look around and there’s no more Fahrenheit, there’s no Parallax, there’s no Taphouse, there’s no Spotted Owl, there’s no Edison’s. It does ebb and flow, but this is kind of a weird one.”

Barflies of a certain age likely will recall with fondness the famous “reverse happy hour” at Lolita, where those dreamy bar burgers on an English muffin cost just $5. Griffin sure does, and that’s precisely the vibe he’s going for.

“It was just so fun; it was a different time,” he says.

The deals at Danny’s will run from 8 p.m., when the place opens, clear up until close at 2 a.m. It is geared to service industry folks clocking out from nearby restaurants. When they stroll in they’ll find free bar snacks like BBQ popcorn, chips with guac and salsa and whatever else the kitchen feels like putting out. Also available will be items like mozzarella sticks, wings, buttermilk fried cauliflower and, of course, build-your-own pizza slices from Crust upstairs.

“We’re not going the cocktail bar route with $20 drinks,” says Griffin. “It’s going to be cheap, affordable drinks and food.”

The bar is named for – and will be run by – Danny Grim, a longtime staffer.

Look for a mid-November opening.

The new Proof Bar-BQ in Ohio City, by the way, is making good progress, says Griffin.

Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.