Are Mac Heads Ready For The Genius Bar Lounge?

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - It was bound to happen eventually, a bar that shamelessly caters to the elite Apple faithful, where sophisticated Mac users can gather under one roof for a free wi-fi connection and ultra-swanky cocktails. Plans to bring the first Genius Bar cocktail lounge to the Bay Area are under way, spearheaded by a group of restaurateurs convinced that the Apple culture is a certified lifestyle. At this Genius Bar orders will be focused on hard liquor rather than hard drives. Your resident Genius will come in the form of a certified mixologist skilled at turning out an Appletini which is sure to become a Genius Bar favorite.

"We know that Mac and iPhone fanatics are a community of savvy users, we believe creating a unique space to relax and tip back a fee beers with other Mac geeks is perfectly timed," said Chad Garrett Vice President of Design for the Walker Group. "The Genius Bar cocktail lounge will be the first of it's kind so we're excited about the franchise possibilities. I'm certain if we build it they will come."

Final design approval and branding for the Genius Bar are still being worked out as the Walker Group are taking great care not to infringe on Apple trademarks. Garrett indicated that his bar staff will wear all black uniforms with a black logo tee shirt and plastic name tags that closely resemble Apple store Genius staff. We can expect the Genius Bar to serve up signature cocktails like, The El Jobso premium Cadillac margarita along with a list of Apple flavored cocktails and signature iShots.

The group is also finalizing plans to brand their own nutritional energy snack similar to the PowerBar calling them 'Genius Bars' along with a short list of energy drinks that will be marketed as staples. "We don't want to focus solely on liquor drinks," said Garrett, "Mac heads are not all boozers trolling the bars for Jessica Alba look-alikes." You can expect to see the Genius Bar Lounge selling branded tee shirts, hats, shot glasses, iPod cases and even a custom laptop bag. Garrett intends to offer all Apple Store employees special discounts when they wear their official tags into the bar.

According to Garrett, the Genius Bar will include multiple iMac user stations for web surfing and chatting on-line designed into two separate spaces, providing proper screen shields for geezers wanting to surf porn. The lounge area will include live entertainment on several nights, featuring stand-up by the Geniuses of Comedy, lingerie shows, karaoke and iPod mix parties that Garrett hopes will become a favorite of the Apple subculture. The stage area will double as a meeting space available for booking private events and launch parties. Both rooms will contain charging stations for iPhones and iPods along with ample outlets for laptops. Scouting for site locations is in process with a tentative grand opening sometime in January 2009, but Garrett was careful to specify that a confirmed date depends on several key initiatives falling into place on time. I only had one nagging question, why hasn't anyone thought of a Genius Bar cocktail lounge, Genius Bar Nightclub or even a Genius Bar and Grill sooner? It's completely brilliant!

Are Mac Heads Ready For The Genius Bar Lounge? (Story Link)