Area Spotlights: The Slowpoke

Meet some of our partners in the area who can help make your visit to APT even more magical! Love great cocktails and live music? Look no further than The Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret right here in Spring Green. Read on for more!

The Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret
137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green, WI, 53588
slowpokelounge.com | [email protected]

Before we get started, see the Slowpoke on Cap Times on the Road here.

Tell us a little about your business! What do you offer, and why is it special to you?
We feel so lucky to have Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret. It’s a cocktail bar, a hangout spot, a place for live music, games, poetry, and to just lay back and chill. We wanted a place that feels like home. Someplace to spin a record, gather around the piano, or just settle in on comfy couches. We wanted a place that embraced music and art, where you could hear a live band or a poetry reading in the same week. I guess Slowpoke is special to us because it’s the part of us that we wanted to share with our friends and community. We hope you like it, too.

What is the history of your business? When was it established, and where did you get the idea?
In 2018, like many in Spring Green, we visited a new place in Spring Green called The Jefferson. It had replaced the old Village Tavern, and was intended as home to the fledgling Two Crows Theatre Company and other events. While the Jefferson only lasted about one year, we saw a lot of promise in crowds hungry for music and theatre, as well as a true artist behind the bar and menu. We jumped at the chance to make some of the changes we thought could take the place to the next level, and renamed it Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret, after our sincere admiration of the slowpokes of the world, those who take the time to relax, be in the moment, and prefer a slow stroll over a mad rush.

What will customers enjoy most about your business, and why?
What we hear most from our customers is how much they like the vibe. Though people don’t say it a lot, I think that has a lot to do with no TVs on the wall. There’s something about hanging in a place where conversation takes the foreground, and there’s always music in the background. I think we like taking a break from our screens, and focusing on each other. And I know people love thumbing through the record collection and the freedom to play whatever they want without counting their quarters. And yes, the cocktails are fantastic, as are the snacks.

Tell us about how The Slowpoke enhances Spring Green.
At Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret we believe that music and theatre matter, and that life is a little better when we share them together. We’ve been lucky to bring lots live music to our community, the opportunities that come with that. We’ve given space to singer songwriters to try out their new work, brought in world class performers to share their work with Spring Green, brought classical music, jazz, rock and roll, and more. And, yes, we’ve made space for local performers, open mics and spoken word nights, as well as trivia nights. We hope we’re bringing some vibrancy to the community, a place where art and music are front and center.

If you’re spending the night in Spring Green, we’re a great place to visit after the show. We stay open late, cater to the theatre crowd, and add a nice coda to your evening. We’re the perfect place to chat about the play over drinks. You’ll probably run into plenty of folks who know the play as well, and may chime in. And if you’re looking for that late night nosh, we’ve got some lovely Mediterranean style snack plates.

How did you come up with the name?
I’m a slowpoke. I lag behind on the sidewalk, stroll when I should walk, daydream when I should focus. At least, I aspire to. When I rush, when I move too fast, I make mistakes, I hurt people, and I miss what’s most important. Our name is a reminder to slow down. To take a breath. To sit ourselves down, sip slow, and smile at the thoughts lolling about our minds, the thoughts ready to share themselves if only we give them space. For me, the records are the perfect metaphor. When we let them play, when we don’t change artists at every song, we find surprised we would otherwise miss. I love that.

Anything else you'd like us to know?
Like all taverns, we’re a place for community to gather, to drink, to eat, to chat. But we aspire to be more than that. We aspire to be a place not just where we spend time with old friends, but are always welcoming new ones.