Pictured Marty Rogo with his twin brother John. Photo by Ross FormanMarty Rogo called his twin brother John one day in October 2004 and said he wanted to take him out for a drink. Traditionally, that would be a stop at a downtown location near The Italian Village, where John worked. But this time Marty instead drove to Andersonville, ultimately stopping in the 1500 block of Balmoral, steps from Clark Street.
Rogo, who shortened his name from Rogozinski, told John that the run-down hair salon they then were standing in front of was, in fact, John's dream.
John, you see, had always wanted to own his own business and though they never talked about opening a bar together, Marty knew this would be the perfect gig—for both. And so was born Marty's, a smoke-free wine and martini lounge known for its Godiva chocolate martinis and Sherwood Pinot Noir wine.
Marty had already signed the lease when he showed John the location—even before asking him about running his own bar. Thirteen months later, the quaint tavern with an interior inspired by Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre was open for business.
Now open daily ( from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. ) at 1511 W. Balmoral, Marty's truly is a family business for the locals.
'I believe in investing in people, and I can't imagine a better person to invest in than my twin brother,' said Marty, a 'serial entrepreneur' who is the older twin by two minutes and four seconds. After all, he owns an Andersonville hair salon, Styles Unlimited, has a real estate company, and is a marketing executive for an investment bank, Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin. Marty also sits on the board of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.
What was John's initial reaction that October afternoon? 'Shock and astonishment,' Marty said.
Well, it's now John running the day as its bar manager. Marty is the business manager.
'It's a dream of his, to have his own bar. I'm just helping his dream come true,' Marty said. 'I thought this neighborhood was missing an over-30, lounge-type place.
'Our expectation was dead-on because all along we've wanted this to be a neighborhood place, a gathering spot for the neighborhood.'
During construction, for instance, they did not cover the windows as most places that are under construction do. 'We wanted everyone to see the whole process, and so many people stopped by,' Marty said.
And the brothers listened to the locals' input, starting with the smoke-free idea.
They also worked hand-in-hand during construction with the West Andersonville Neighbors Together ( WANT ) and the East Andersonville Residents Council ( EARC ) .
One of the biggest debates was to have a TV or not, Marty said.
'We didn't want one, but the reality is, to be a gathering place, you need a TV for world or major local events, such as, presidential debates, natural disasters, etc.'
Otherwise, the flat-screen TV will air black-and-white films and/or silent movies, further expanding the French countryside feel.
The bar was custom-built of mahogany, cherry and oak. The floors are wooden with, oh, about eight small bar tables and stools. Marty's capacity inside the 560 square-feet facility is 43 people.
And no music videos or sports.
'We get a lot of people asking, 'Is it a gay bar? Is it a straight bar? Is it a sports bar? Is it a video bar?' They want to label it,' Marty said. 'It is, 'A neighborhood gathering place,' with a nice slice of everything.'
So that means Marty's sees the before-dinner crowd, the after-dinner crowd and the late-night crowd of staff from area restaurants.
And the clientele is part gay, part straight.
'I think that notion of a 'gay bar' is a little dated. By making this place a 'neighborhood place' as opposed to a gay bar or a lesbian bar, it's saying, we're mainstream,' said Marty, who is gay; John is straight.
Marty's will advertise in the gay and the mainstream media, he said.
The tavern offers 6- and 10-ounce martinis, priced at $8-9 and $13-14, respectively. However, the initial plan was just to carry the smaller version, but, the morning of the grand opening, the brothers opened the box with martini glasses and realized that they just had the 10-ounce version. They went out and actually bought some smaller glasses, but the early customers quickly requested the larger drinks when they saw the glasses. For every one 6-ounce martini that is now sold, they sell 10 of the larger versions.
The Pineapple Upside Down ( cake ) martini is one of Marty's most underrated drinks. The tavern has a variety of white and red wines, many now carrying a spicy, bold flavor. The wine-list will change in the spring, Marty said.
They also have champagnes and a few ports. Plus, there are six domestic and six imported beers ( $3-4 ) .
Marty's will have an outside patio in the spring that will seat about 20. Then, it will be open during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.
