Fifty Five Broad Street is open for business.
Co-owners Ben Baldwin and Dallas Russell held a soft opening of their store, Fifty Five Broad Street, Monday morning, revealing a wide variety of beers and wines for sale, as well as various snacks and other drinks.
“We had a steady flow of people coming in and checking the place out,” Baldwin said. “Some were just stopping by and others were buying beers and wines.”
Since the closing of Broad Street Downtown Market and Tavern due to foreclosure in January 2017, Baldwin and Russell have been trying to secure licensing in order to open the store.
“It’s just been a nightmare,” Baldwin said. “Plus, with the building being shut down for a year, there was a lack of maintenance.”
Now that they have overcome the licensing obstacles to open their bar, Baldwin and Russell have several plans for the place in the coming months and years. Eventually, the main floor will feature a variety of beers, wines, and liquors, as well as a private bar on the main level that will have both indoor and outdoor seating.
Baldwin said he hopes that the private bar in the basement will serve as a venue for a variety of events in Hillsdale. Some groups at the college have already started hosting events in the basement of Fifty Five Broad Street, which features a private bar as well as a DJ table, a large space for dancing, dining, and games such as pool.
“They loved having their own space,” Baldwin said. “We want it to be a place where people are able to go somewhere, have a private bar, and a whole place to themselves.”
Senior Zoe Harness, the Hillsdale Chi Omega social chair, planned her sorority’s winter formal in the basement level of Fifty Five Broad Street.
“When I was an underclassman, we had events there with Student Activities Board, and I always thought it was a really cool location,” she said.
Harness said Baldwin was helpful and excited to help her with hosting the event.
“He really wants to be part of the community and especially reach out to college students,” Harness said.
As Baldwin and his team continues to move forward, he said they are most looking forward to “just bringing entertainment back to the city.” Baldwin said events in the future could possibly feature live entertainment, especially as they expand and add more comfortable seating in the basement. The downstairs bar plans to host some events where all students, even those under 21, would be able to attend.
“We need a club, a place where people can just dance,” Baldwin said.
He said he and his team just want to cater to what they see fit in the town as things come up.
Baldwin said the place will be equipped with Wi-Fi, so students can stop by, hang out, and have a place to work upstairs.
Several students expressed excitement as they came back for the new semester with Fifty Five Broad Street already opened.
“Until now, quality craft beer was scarce in Hillsdale,” Senior Brant Cohen said. “I took a walk through the store yesterday and left very optimistic.”
Cohen said when he was a freshman, he remembers hearing the upperclassmen praise the beer selection of the former Broad Street Market and Tavern.
“I am excited this is coming back my senior year, and I hope it is just as good,” he said. “I imagine I will be there frequently looking for great new choices that I could not otherwise find around Hillsdale.”
Senior Joshua Liebhauser already has purchased from Fifty Five Broad Street, which is just down the street from where he lives.
“They have a great selection of Michigan craft beers, a lot of wine, and they have a pending liquor license,” Liebhauser said. “I will definitely purchase from them rather than driving to Kroger or Walmart and buying from their limited selections.”
“The beer I got from them was great, and they have more IPAs than I could drink in my last semester here,” Liebhauser said.