Halek’s wants to change its name to what?

The following information was sent my way. Halek’s (2024 Washington Avenue North) is changing their name to Ya Baby Sports Bar and applying for additional entertainment (up to a 5 piece band). Ya Baby Sports Bar?! I don’t think so. The name sounds sleazy and scuzzy and reeks of the very urban dystopia that NoMi has been working so hard to dispel. At best, it’s nonsensical. The public meeting about this is tonight at 7 p.m. at Farview Park. Please show up or send your opinions to diane.hofstede@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.

I plan on opposing the license based on the name alone. This is disappointing, because all of my previous experiences with or at Halek’s have been…

ADDENDUM: See comment section for some historical context about the name and a slight change in my stance.

…quite pleasant or outright fun. I like the owners and the staff. The place currently is filled with old sports trophies, hunting video games, patrons who’ve just come from their own sporting events, and salt-of-the-earth folk enjoying a good drink after a hard day’s work. It’s kind of a “Glory Days” sort of bar and I like the atmosphere.

I had one complaint the last time I was there. John, Connie, Megan, two other friends, and I hopped over to Halek’s from Donnie Dirk’s Zombie Den during an evening of revelry. In the midst of this old-school sports bar, we had this show playing on the television set:

Oh HELL no.

But I did ask the bartender to change the channel to “whatever’s on ESPN” and that happened right away, and we proceeded to have a fine evening.

So up until now, I’ve rather enjoyed HALEK’S. But I look at the name “Ya Baby” and it makes me question virtually everything about the new ownership. Either they are trying to attract the same people that WERE coming to Stand Up Frank’s and Johnny A’s, or they have absolutely no clue about the clientele such a name will bring in. Either way, I cannot support the request for a liquor license of any kind as long as that is the name being proposed.