Moot Bar Prepares To Open On Myrtle Avenue

Moot Bar has been a long time in the making. Business partners Josh Ellis, Jake Trebach, and Matt Volner, who you may know from their Park Slope bar Uncle Barry’s, originally planned to expand to a space on Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights–but after months of paying rent and preparing to open a transformed storefront to the public, were repeatedly denied a liquor license recommendation by Brooklyn Community Board 8.

Several months ago, Josh, Jake, and Matt made the decision to move Moot Bar to 579 Myrtle Avenue (at Classon Avenue; formerly Brooklyn Bird) instead, which should be patron-ready towards the end of November. Ahead of Moot Bar’s long-awaited opening, we spoke to Josh (attempting his best American Gothic above at right, with Jake at left) about the origin of the “Moot” name, life after CB8, and perhaps most importantly, free hot dogs.

First off, what’s “Moot Bar” about? Rick Springfield reference or no Rick Springfield reference?

Moot is our friend Matt’s nickname. He was instrumental in getting the idea off the ground so it’s an homage to him.

What was it like starting over on Myrtle after the initial runaround on Washington Avenue?

Dealing with Community Board 8 was an enormous setback for us. We had invested tens of thousands of dollars in a still-empty, still-dilapidated space with the intention of turning it into a really cool little neighborhood pub.

Then we ran into a buzz saw of petty fellow business owners worried about competition; elders who I’m quite certain have never set foot inside a bar; self-righteous bobo parents outraged over the effect our presence would have on their precious youngsters; and an activist neighborhood board more concerned with fighting imaginary evils than with building their tax base and creating viable local small businesses. It’s a great cautionary tale of what happens when the worst impulses of gentrification collide and metastasize.

Have you spent much time in Clinton Hill? What’s your impression of the neighborhood?

My friend Matt (he of the Moot nickname) and I both lived in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene for several years. (He still lives there, while I’ve relocated to enemy territory in Prospect Heights.) It’s a wonderful neighborhood, and we couldn’t have been happier with the way our new neighbors and Community Board 3 have treated us.

How will Moot Bar be similar to or different from Uncle Barry’s?

We’ll have a pretty similar setup to Barry’s. 16 draft lines, same-ish number of bottles, large and wide-ranging selection of booze. No real food but we will have Hot Dog Tuesdays, where you get a free hot dog with every drink you order! We’ll also have trivia on Wednesdays at 9pm.

Tell us about the space at 579 Myrtle.

The space is cozy; no backyard, just the main room. The bar is on the left. We’ll also have a dart board and some small tables and drink rails. Unfortunately there’s only one bathroom. We apologize in advance for the wait.

Once Moot Bar is open, hours of operation will be from 1pm-2am Sunday through Thursday, and 1pm-4am Fridays and Saturdays. You can keep up with Josh, Jake, and Matt’s progress via Moot Bar on Facebook.