Vadella, 32, was a Western student working at Buffalo Wild Wings when he and his friend, Scott Makohn, came up with the idea of opening their own bar. “We were playing pool after close and I said ‘we should do this ourselves,’” Vadella said. Nearly six years later, Vadella and Makohn opened Shakespeare’s Pub, an increasingly successful bar in downtown Kalamazoo. In Vadella’s words, “The whole thing started over a game of pool.”
After graduating from Western Michigan University, Vadella worked as a financial consultant for a few years until he got a call from Makohn, who worked as a bartender, suggesting they take a shot at opening their own bar like they talked about during their college days. “I didn’t love what I was doing,” Vadella said. I wasn’t happy, so I decided I’d do what I wanted. I like the bar atmosphere – every day is a party.”
The atmosphere that Vadella speaks of though, isn’t that of the typical college-bar environment. At Shakespeare’s it’s unusual to see vomit on the bathroom floor, lines of people pushing their way to the front of the bar or bouncer’s dragging drunken patrons out the door. You don’t even get harassed about how you’re dressed or have to stand in line to pay a cover charge. The bar isn’t meant for an older crowd but isn’t student-dominated either. Vadella puts it best: “We don’t have a demographic here. We’ve got a comfortable setting where people can get together, have a few drinks and talk. It’s a nice little niche – it’s everybody’s place.”
It took a lot of work to get Shakespeare’s to where it is now. The building was constructed in 1897 by Shakespeare Rod and Reel Company – the company that has the first patented fishing reel. According to Vadella, when he and Makohn first looked at the building it was “basically in shambles” and a fire had burnt out the back of the building. Vadella’s financial advising days told him it would be a bad investment but Makohn’s instincts said otherwise. A loan was granted, a whole lot of construction took place and the rest was history.
Travis Willey, a former employee of Shakespeare’s, remembers the enthusiasm of Vadella and Makohn when the bar opened in 2003. “I filled out the first application that they ever handed out and they hired me on the spot,” he said. “They were just excited to get the business started and to have people working for them.”
Vadella and Makohn’s relationship with their employees sets the tone for the family-type atmosphere they like to stress at Shakespeare’s. “If I’m ever in need of a job I know I can come back and work here,” Willey said.
Shakespeare’s turned a profit almost immediately after its opening and continues to grow in reputation. However, the bar’s ever-increasing popularity has become an area of concern for its loyal patrons. In the last couple of years the bar has begun to grow too crowded as lines formed to get in and ordering drinks became difficult.
For this reason, Vadella and Makohn decided to expand. They bought an adjoining portion of the building, knocked out the wall connecting the two sides and started working on a new wing that will more than double the size of the bar.
The new wing, which is being constructed almost entirely by Makohn, will feature eight big-screen televisions, three pool tables, 31 taps and plenty of seating – not to mention the outdoor patio that can hold up to 250 people. “In the summer people will be able to sit on the patio and watch the downtown festivals and hear the music that’s being playing,” Willey said. “The festivals (i.e. Bluesfest, Greekfest and Ribfest) bring people from all over the world to Kalamazoo and now they’ll be able to watch and listen from Shakespeare’s back porch.”
But the upcoming expansion has caused some apprehension among the Shakespeare’s faithful. Rob Gray, a 22-year-old Western student is worried that the bar will become more “mainstream.” “I like coming here because it’s a pretty quiet place where my friends and I can come every week to just sit, talk, drink and chill,” Gray said. “I’m hoping that the addition won’t make this place frat-dominated and stuffy like Wayside or Firehouse or any of the other bigger bars in the area.”
But Vadella encourages the Shakespeare’s faithful not to worry. “We’re not going to change the scheme of things,” he said. “We’ll never charge a cover and we’ll still keep the comfortable quaintness of the place. This will always be a place where anybody can come and hang out in a relaxed atmosphere.”
The new wing of Shakespeare’s was originally scheduled to be opened on New Years. Due to city licensing restrictions the opening-date has been pushed back several times. Vadella said he doesn’t want to make any promises but he is shooting for June.
Whether the wing opens this June or in two years, it’s safe to say Ted Vadella’s pipedream has become a reality.
