Carly Hallenstein has been a familiar face on Lee Road for years. The Cleveland Heights native and resident has been bartending and managing at the Social Room for more than a decade. And soon, she will be doing those duties at her own place. Hallenstein and partner Jason Bolanz have just inked a deal to take over the former Voodoo Brewery (2279 Lee Rd.) space, which closed at the tail end of 2025.
“I’ve fallen in love with this industry and the privilege of serving people,” Hallenstein explains. “This has always been my dream.”
After hearing that the Voodoo space was going to be available, the team checked out the property and acted fast. The goal is to make some minor modifications to the turnkey bar and restaurant and open High Key on Lee this summer.
“The building was everything I could have ever dreamed of; they did an incredible job renovating it,” she adds.
In addition to falling in love with the service industry, Hallenstein is a huge fan of street food and food trucks, genres that she will be pursuing at High Key. While the menu is far from complete, the goal is to offer fun food that caters to the street and neighborhood. Those items will be available late into the night as well.
A rear patio will be expanded greatly to take better advantage of the warm-season months.
Inside will undergo some minor cosmetic changes as well. The former beer tower with 18 taps will be trimmed by two thirds. Those draft beers will be joined by cans, bottles, cocktails, and great coffee all day long.
The goal is to be “high key” from the jump, says Hallenstein.
“Our vibe will be high-energy,” she explains. “I love throwing events so we want to bring in a lot of live events and collaborations.”
Those events could include live music, DJs, karaoke, trivia and other collabs.
The goal is to be open in time to participate in the annual Heights Music Hop, which returns to the street in late August.
“There is so much happening on Lee Road; it’s growing into its own essence,” adds Hallenstein. “As a person who loves this neighborhood, and loves the vibe of this city, there is nowhere that is like Lee Road or Cleveland Heights. It’s an authentic, special place.”
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