Lelia Rodgers, proprietress of beloved Montrose bar Rudyard's British Pub since 1993, didn't know what she was looking for when ideas began to form about a second establishment last year.
"We had no preconceived notion about where we wanted to be or what we wanted to do," Rodgers tells CultureMap of the concept, now revealed as TikTok, a restaurant/bar/music venue at 1412 W. 20th Street. Restaurant Depot is the landlord of the 15,000-square-foot Shady Acres warehouse space where the concept will open in late spring or early summer of 2014.
"There just aren't that many venues in town," said Rodgers, who hopes that TikTok will fill a gap in the market somewhere between Fitzgerald's and House of Blues, in a space that caters to national touring bands and strong regional acts and can easily hold an audience of 400. "We're really, really keen on that."
And the name? Although it may bring to mind a Ke$ha song, the origins are a little more literary.
But, like Rudz, the music venue is only one component.
Under Joe Apa, the Rudyard's chef who joined Rudyard's from Monica Pope's t'afia, the kitchen will focus on "a great burger" and "a few of the menu items from Rudz" with a more upscale approach to food, plating, presentation and price point. Rodgers is certain that it will fit into the neighborhood, which already boasts a healthy mix of barbecue shops, burger joints and Mexican food restaurants.
And the name? Although it may bring to mind that one Ke$ha song, Rodgers tells CultureMap that the origins are a little more literary — from a minor character in L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books.
"It came up because we didn't want something that grounded you in a style of food, or a style of music," Rodgers says. Although she eventually plans to incorporate some design elements that tie it all together, she says that the space is "just a big empty box right now."
From the owners of Rudyard's comes TikTok, a music venue, bar and restaurant in the Heights.
A vintage picture of chefs EJ Miller and Ryan Lachaine. Photo by