How this new bar will honor the spirit of 'what Lost Leaf was' in downtown Phoenix

The Lost Leaf was more than a neighborhood bar.

For many years, the art bar was a driving force in the cultural fabric of downtown Phoenix, nurturing the local art and music scenes while providing a sense of community for the regulars who came to look upon the 1920s bungalow just south of Roosevelt Row as something of a second home.

It’s a legacy Chase Brendle says he hopes to honor when the bungalow reopens as Lacuna Kava Bar, the botanical elixir lounge he opened in April 2019 on North Third Street, not far from the Lost Leaf.

Brendle purchased the Lost Leaf on Friday, Sept. 29. He hopes to have his business up and running at the new location in time for the First Friday art walk in November.

Lacuna plans to have live music in 'the Lost Leaf Theatre'

“One of the things that made the Lost Leaf such a strong business to begin with was the community aspect of it,” Brendle says.

“I think that’s something we really take pride in creating at Lacuna, and we’re looking to carry that over. Since it’s only two blocks away, we foresee everybody kind of just making the migration with us and bringing that same culture we already have at our existing location.”

He credits Marina Matusky, his Lacuna COO and business partner, with the idea of naming the space where musicians have always performed in honor of the building’s former tenants.

“Marina came up with this great idea to call it the Lost Leaf Theatre,” Brendle says.

“We wanted to pay homage to it that way and continue to host special things like open mics, musicians, everything that it was known for to begin with and was also an integral part of the Lacuna experience.”

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Owner envisions operating 'in the spirit of what Lost Leaf was'

Although part of the charm of the Lost Leaf is its unassuming stature — a modest capacity of 50 — it represents an opportunity for Brendle’s business to expand into a larger space.

“We’ll be doing some larger music things, more in the spirit of what Lost Leaf was,” he says.

“We want to make sure people understand that we’re gonna maintain the roots of what Lost Leaf always has been. You can still expect to see the amazing graffiti art on the exterior of the building and you can look forward to an updated, modern experience on the inside.”

There are no major renovation plans for now.

“We’re not knocking down any walls,” Matusky says. “We’re not changing the layout per se. We’re making sure we’re preserving the space as best we can.”

Lacuna also plans to host wellness classes, from yoga to qigong

They also plan to host a wide variety of non-musical events.

As Matusky says, “We like to do events at Lacuna for all different types of people. Of course, we love to book live musicians, whether they’ve got acoustic guitars or DJ sets. But we also do other events that are ways to kind of link the community together.”

They’ve hosted a number of wellness classes, from yoga to qigong and meditation.

“We have a wellness group that is run by the guy who does qigong, so he has more background in helping people heal through different wellness modalities,” Matusky says.

There’s also an upcoming holiday vendor fair.

“We’ll have a little station where you can craft your own cards from scratch inside,” Matusky says. “And then you can go outside to the local vendors and boom, you just bought a bunch of holiday presents for everybody. It’s all local, you got to do it with the community and you made it from scratch.”

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Owners look forward to expanding musical offering in new space

They’re also planning to program more music that they’ve done at their current location, Combine Studios.

“That live music component is something we always wanted to do and go harder on, but when we were in Combine Studios, those are homes,” Matusky says. “So we had a very particular noise level we could be at. That’s the biggest thing that held us back in the past, between that and the space being smaller. So now that we’re moving into Lost Leaf, we can’t wait to continue that tradition.”

Matusky says she’s hoping longtime Lost Leaf regulars will take a chance.

“We want to assure people who used to go to Lost Leaf that they didn’t lose their home,” she says. “New ownership might be taking over the space, but we just want to continue that vibe. Alcohol-free, of course.”

Lacuna to offer 'a wide range of botanicals'

Brendle says Lacuna was the first alcohol-free botanical bar in Phoenix.

In place of craft beers and wine, Lacuna, which opened a second location in Sedona two years ago, offers what Brendle calls “a wide range of botanicals — anything from what we call an herbal spritzer to a botanical elixir.”

That can range from basil and turmeric drinks to damiana and CBD.

“We’ve got our more traditional botanical elixirs, one of which is designed for hydration, one’s an aphrodisiac and the third is for brain function,” Brendle says.

“We have a diverse range of all natural product offerings that are gonna help people with different scenarios of life. Whether you want to study, relax, connect with a friend or loved one, or have an exciting night out, there’s a drink for you on our menu. And that was really our goal to begin with.”

Lacuna’s hours, for now, are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. But that could change with the move into the Lost Leaf space.

“We are looking into expanding our menu offerings,” Matusky says, “which means we want to open earlier, which would include coffee and the coffee crowd.”

Lacuna planning 'a really exciting' First Friday grand opening experience

Brendle says they anticipate having “a really exciting grand opening experience” around First Friday weekend in November “because of the amount of life and foot traffic.”

It’s part of what drew Brendle to the area.

“One of the things I really loved about the downtown Roosevelt Row arts district to begin with when we first opened was that eclectic nature and the kind of neighborhood vibe,” he says.

“So it’s kind of an honor for us to take over this particular building on this particular street in this neighborhood because it was literally my introduction to Phoenix, where I put my roots down.”

The old Jobot building on that block, he says, “is where I had my first cup of coffee and met my first friend in downtown Phoenix, so that’s the experience that we want to bring to every customer that walks through the door.”

'Yes, of course, we sell drinks, but it's so much more than that'

Matusky says she’s hoping what Lacuna has to offer resonates with those who called the Lost Leaf home.

“For those who loved Lost Leaf but have no concept of what Lacuna is, Lacuna is an experience,” Matusky. “Yes, of course, we sell drinks. But if you’ve ever stopped into any of our current locations, it’s so much more than that.”

In reading the comments on some articles about Lost Leaf closing, Matusky says, it was clear that people felt at home and part of a community when they went to the Lost Leaf.

“You can still experience that community,” she says. “And we are so open to feedback when it comes to what people like to experience. The more you come hang out and talk with us, we will help make this your home too. We are this experiential brand beyond our drink. We help connect people.”

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New downtown Phoenix kava bar to honor spirit of Lost Leaf