LAKEWOOD — Right now, a 70s-themed bar and lounge in Lakewood is hustling to reopen.
The sounds of industrial fans fill the cozy confines of Pins & Needles cocktail bar in the basement of Mahall's; a bowling alley, performance space and more on Madison Avenue that dates back almost 100 years.
A burst water pipe in the historic building forced them to close after opening just this past summer.
"It was a water park down here," said Dennis Tvrdik, director of Pins & Needles at Mahall's.
Just after Christmas, Tvrdik discovered a burst water pipe due to the cold temperatures that gripped Northeast Ohio over the holiday.
"It was everywhere," he said. "It was raining inside the building essentially."
What is left of his lounge is heartbreaking for Tvrdik. He says he spent months curating the lounge to have a comfy 60s, 70s vibe that feels like your grandparent's basement.
"We had a nice little couple's nook here with a lamp hanging down that was one of my favorite spots," he said describing a now bare wall. "Luckily, the bar top is okay. We're protecting it because it's quartzite from any debris during the demo."
He is now hoping the public may have some furniture and décor that fits the bill they'd like to sell to him.
"If people have a couch they don't want anymore. Or they know someone who has a chair, tables, lamps, and of course the vinyl wall that was very custom and now I need like 100 vinyl records... we are willing to compensate or give gift cards if they're adamant about not receiving cash, you know, we'd love to give them some free drinks and free bowling," he said.
The good news, there was no water damage to the bowling lanes, which are all original wood. One set in the basement is located right next to the bar and lounge, which used to be the old locker room for bowlers.
Tvrdik says he hope to reopen Pins & Needles in February.
The pipe broke on the top floor of Mahall's and damaged the main bar as well before pooling in the basement, where the worst of the damage is.
Joe Pavlick, Mahall's co-owner, says they're fully insured, but disruptions to regular business for construction is a hit.
However, he says after making it through the pandemic and shutdowns, as a small business owner, he feels like nothing can break them.
"That really kind of helped make us resilient and make our staff resilient," he said. "The building's always been pretty resilient, it's gone through a lot itself, and yeah, that was sort of training for tragedy."
They say they'll triumph and emerge better than ever ahead of their 100th year in 2024.
If you're wondering whether it's pronounced muh-hall's or may-hall's, Pavlick says both are acceptable and commonly used. He says they even sell a shirt with the phonetic spelling of each. You can buy it on its website.
If you'd like to sell or donate your furniture from the 1960s or 70s, Tvrdik says you can message them photos and information on Instagram or email.
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