Under new owner, 6th Ave bar will get fresh look, light bites with a Spanish flair
Off Day, a low-key beer and wine bar in Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue neighborhood, has a new owner who has big plans to refashion the long, narrow space into a more sophisticated haunt — notably through the addition of a small kitchen and full bar.
It’s the latest in a string of Tacoma businesses that have changed hands in the past half-year or so, including The Blue Rose (formerly Stink Wine and Cheese), Odd Otter Brewing Co. and the nonalcoholic haven Soulberry Coffeehouse and Dry Speakeasy (formerly Heritage Coffee and Plant House).
Matt Coppins, a Burien resident who once lived above Bluebeard Coffee a half-mile east, purchased the bar from Lai Thach and Nuri Song in January. The couple had run headfirst into the pandemic roller coaster, having bought what was previously called North End Social Club in early 2020. Off Day opened that summer.
Selling only beer and wine but no food or cocktails has become an increasingly difficult bargain in the Tacoma area. Another beer bar and bottle shop, Edison City Alehouse, also recently upgraded to a full bar with in-house food by Sandwich Starr.
Coppins anticipates building out a modest kitchen near the end of the bar top. Importantly, there will be no deep-fryer. Instead, the menu will lean toward small, light bites: soups, salads, charcuterie and other snacks “with a slight Spanish influence,” he said.
While he has reworked the ambiance a bit — he lit candles during our conversation as dusk neared — it will eventually undergo a top-to-bottom transformation. The bar will close for a couple of weeks in late spring to accommodate renovations. Ideally, it will reopen with time to spare ahead of Art on the Ave, the annual July street festival organized by the Sixth Avenue Business District that draws thousands of visitors.
The new look will lean into what Coppins described as a “modern twist on a ‘70s rec room,” with black and copper tones, antique elements and vintage backlighting intended to imbue “a little level of sophistication.”
“I want some dimension to it, some mystery,” he said, adding that he might build out an entryway — “to make you wonder, ‘What’s back there?’”
A graphic designer by trade, he spent more than a decade at rock radio station 99.9 KISW, notably creating the artwork for the Pain in the Grass music festival. He always has been close to the hospitality industry, he said, both through friends and time as a DJ. In seeking to buy an existing bar, he landed in Tacoma. In addition to that Bluebeard apartment stint, his family lived in Gig Harbor in the 1990s.
He’s excited to be part of the Sixth Avenue scene, which is home to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants, including Tacoma’s first James Beard nominee at The Table.
His friend and neighbor owns architectural design firm Mutuus Studio, which will assist with the design and construction.
The addition of the kitchen will mean fewer beers on tap, as some fridge space will accommodate the food, but the new model will offer cocktails, too.
For now, you’ll find Coppins behind the bar a few days a week, including during new Sunday hours. Trivia still happens every Wednesday and open mic on Thursdays, and outside food is welcome in the meantime.
OFF DAY BEER & WINE
▪ 3013 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-302-3047, instagram.com/offdaytacoma
▪ Tuesday-Sunday 4-10 p.m. (ish)
▪ Details: casual bar with local list of beer, cider and wine; new owner with fresh look and food expected by summer
This story was originally published March 11, 2024 at 5:30 AM.