Inspired by the success of the Christmas pop-up, the Old Town bar imagines a tropical summer version

The 2023 Christmas-themed pop-up bars that have been popping up all over Wichita at places like River City Brewing Co., The Belmont and Public at the Brickyard, have been hugely successful – so much so that reservations have become quite difficult to obtain.

Now, the owners of Public at the Brickyard at 129 N. Rock Island — who, at Christmas, transformed their enclosed patio into a winter wonderland they’ve called “The Jingle” — are introducing a summer pop-up bar to the same space.

It’s called “The Wilds” and will officially open its doors on Wednesday, May 15 with a tropical disco theme inspired by favorite vacation destinations like Tulum, Mexico and Miami. To hang out at the pop-up bar — which will be filled with lush plants, disco balls, macramé and more — people must make reservations, and those who visit will be able to order craft cocktails from an exclusive menu including drinks like coconut pineapple margaritas, passion fruit rum cocktails and hibiscus mezcal cocktails.

“You go to other cities and restaurants do pop-ups or crazy decorations all the time to create moments for people, and we wanted to do something like that,” said Brooke Russell, co-owner of Public. “…Everywhere you walk in Old Town, people are taking photos, and we wanted to kind of elevate that experience and give people more photo ops.”

It is free to reserve a place in the pop-up bar, which has around 40 seats. The only exception would be if an entry-paying band is playing on the patio during the reservation. People can also order food from the Public menu while at the pop-up. A reservation guarantees a table for two hours, Russell said.

People can make reservations now on Public’s website, publicbrickyard.com/oldtownwichitarestaurant. Time slots are available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekday evenings and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. (To find reservation times now, click “reservations,” then choose a time and date on or after May 15 at 5 p.m. Reservations for “The Wilds” will appear.)

Russell said she hopes to keep the pop-up going through September and may extend its hours as the summer season progresses.

The public learned many lessons from her Christmas pop-up, she said, and the staff used that knowledge to improve the experience at “The Wilds.”

“The Christmas popup was huge for us,” she said. “It really made December an important month for us, and we’re excited to do it again.”