Wild Child, the much-anticipated low- and no-alcohol cocktail and wine bar in downtown Shawnee, is set to open this week.
Just east of Nieman Road, the new bar is at 11022 Johnson Drive, next to its sister establishment Drastic Measures.
Though some of the owners between the two bars are the same, the vibes couldn’t be more different, said owner Jay Sanders.
“We wanted to do something that would be a complement to the block but not compete with Drastic,” he said. “We want people to come to both businesses and get different experiences.”
Along with Sanders, Derick and Shelley Shackelford, who are part of the ownership group for Drastic Measures, are also on the team behind Wild Child.
Wild Child aims to be more casual than Drastic Measures
Sanders, who calls Drastic Measures “the cave,” said Wild Child has a much brighter feel.
Its walls are covered with colorful floral wallpaper. Plants line tables and counters.
Windows looking out over Johnson Drive and Nieman funnel natural light into the bar. Above the bar, there are rows of colorful bottles in a fixture that gives a rainbow-like feel to the place.
The menu was designed to match, offering about 20 wines by the glass from independent producers as well as drinks from a Japanese ice shaving machine.
Wild Child will serve a range nonalcoholic drinks made with house-produced spirits, like an N/A Negroni and a cucumber fernojito.
Cocktails with alcohol will be served as well, including a mezpresso martini and a lime leaf gimlet.
“We’re just looking for fun drinks that look good and they taste good,” Sanders said.
Find the full menu here.
Wild Child plans a soft opening this week
- After roughly a year and a half of planning, Sanders said Wild Child will start with a slower introduction to the community this week Thursday through Saturday.
- Soft opening slots are by invitation only.
- After that, Wild Child could be ready to open to the wider public next Wednesday, July 19.
- Wild Child plans to be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
- On the weekends, Wild Child will open at 1 p.m. The bar will stay open until 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday.
Wild Child will have reservations, open seating
- Wild Child will be able to seat about 40 people at once.
- For walk-in patrons on busy evenings, there’s a standing table toward the entrance people can stand at and enjoy a drink.
- “If I can’t get you in right away, I can at least get you a drink in your hand,” Sanders said.
- Reservations will be offered here.
Keep reading: Shawnee’s Drastic Measures nominated for prestigious James Beard Award
