ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A pair of Escanaba business owners have opened a new establishment at 1213 Ludington Street.
Just over a week ago, Curt and Kelly Spaulding welcomed their first guests to CK Downtown Martini Lounge.
“An environment like this is rare, and that was the whole point about creating an experience with this business,” said Curt. “This is truly a luxury lounge—and I hate to use the word ‘luxury’—but this is that type of environment you will find in the bigger cities.”
CK Downtown Martini Lounge serves up a full menu that includes handcrafted martinis, specialty cocktails, high-end Old Fashioneds and bourbons, and signature hors d’oeuvres.
“We serve Oyster Rockefeller, scallops in the half shell, bacon-wrapped shrimp, cocktail shrimp, some delicious meatballs, deep-fried calamari,” Kelly said.
“The tuna tostada, which is amazing,” added Curt. “Bruschetta on a toasted bun with cheese, steak chimichurri.”
The food and drinks are not the only factors that create the lounge’s unique, upscale vibe.
“It’s an environment for people that don’t like loud music, for people that want to be able to be in a more intimate setting, for people that don’t even want to hear the balls clinking from a pool table,” explained Kelly. “We do have music constantly streaming, but it is music that we have chosen for this establishment. We have a baby grand piano, and we have a few local artists that have already utilized the piano and the stage in singing.”
The Spauldings are not newcomers to the Escanaba bar scene, as they have owned nearby bar and grill Cat-Man-Do’s for more than a decade. They hope CK Downtown Martini Lounge will add something special to the area.
“There’s a lot of vacant properties along Ludington Street,” Kelly said. “We put about two years’ worth of work into coming up with the concept for CK to revitalize Downtown.”
They are also breathing new life into the building, which locals will remember most recently as Crispigna’s Restaurant.
“On our VIP night, I personally invited Joe Crispigna,” said Kelly. “He said, ‘Kelly, this building was built in 1927, and it will be 100 years old next year.'”
“It’s taken an awful lot of time, a lot of planning, a lot of commitment, and a lot of projections,” Curt said. “We worked with a lot of people, a lot of organizations, a lot of other businesses to make this happen. It’s a pretty in-depth project, and I’m very proud of how it turned out.”
The Spauldings invite community members to try a taste of the big city right in their own backyard.
“We wanted to offer something different for this community, and this is a gorgeous place,” said Curt.
“We have had a lot of good feedback so far,” Kelly said. “Everybody is loving it.”
CK Downtown Martini Lounge opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Monday through Thursday, the kitchen closes at 9 p.m., and the bar closes at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. while the bar is open until midnight.
To learn more about CK Downtown Martini Lounge, visit ckmartini.com or click here.
