Historic Edgewater Bar Space to Reopen With New Name, Food Menu

It’s been over a year since Providence at 5280 in Edgewater closed abruptly, and its former space at the iconic address of 5280 West 25th Avenue has sat empty ever since. But this year, it will welcome guests once again as Maryjane’s Hideaway (no, it will not offer anything cannabis-related).

The building is owned by Natalie Jolin, who inherited the property from her father, Jeff, in 2023. He’d purchased it 25 years ago to establish the Okoboji Inn. Before that, the structure had been home to a string of businesses over its 100+ years, including a barbecue joint and a tiki bar.

“I have this bar that I inherited, and want to keep it in the family, to continue on my dad’s legacy,” she told Westword last month, “but I just want someone in here that’s going to take care of the place and to find a good tenant that actually pays rent, that actually goes through the right steps to get their liquor license, and that is going to give it the TLC that it needs.”

It was that story that prompted a customer at Eat Here on West 38th Avenue to stop by and share the information with the owner of that business, Niko Garza, who’d mentioned that he’d dreamed of opening a bar and was looking for a bigger space than the small takeout and delivery spot that he’s run since April 2023.

“I sat there for about six minutes and stewed on it,” recalls Garza, who then headed out to look at the space. “I drove over there, immediately got the number, talked to Natalie for like an hour, and right away, I could tell she was into it.”

Garza loves the historic bones of the building and has no plans to make any major renovations. Beyond some fresh paint, the place is pretty much ready to go — although he still needs approval for his plans from the City of Edgewater, and he needs to acquire a new liquor license, which he expects will take about four months. When it debuts, Garza says Maryjane’s Hideaway will be a “five-star dive bar.”

But first, pending city approval, he hopes to begin serving food in the space in about a month, offering both takeout and delivery from 4 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday. As with his spot on West 38th, which will remain open, he plans to distribute QR code menus to bars in the area that don’t offer food of their own so patrons can order eats delivered directly to their seats.

Maryjane Hideaway’s menu items will be the same as Eat Here’s offerings, all of which are affordably priced and fitting for a case of the munchies, from the $5 bagel sandwich to the $10.10 chopped cheese and $15 fully loaded carne asada fries. Maryjane’s Hideaway with food by Eat Here will also include Pinks Ice Cream, where Garza will sell classic favorites like Bomb Pops and SpongeBob bars. “We really want to do some community-forward, family-forward stuff there — I’m a father and a family guy myself,” Garza notes.

His overall vision, he says, is reminiscent of the setup at RiNo Country Club, where Dalton’s serves food separately to patrons of the bar. And while the spot will be family-friendly during the day, he’ll cater to a more adult crowd in the later evening hours, similar to the vibes at Pony Up, where Garza once worked.

“I’ve been in the service industry forever. I’ve tried a million different things,” Garza says, and he’s taking all of those lessons into this new spot. “I went to Jefferson [High School] and I’m from the Northside, too, so I’ve been stomping these grounds for quite some time. … I love the idea of moving [to Edgewater], and it’ll be fun to push my limits a little bit. When I first dreamt about opening a bar, it was like, ‘Party, on Wayne,” type of stuff. Now I understand business more.” And that includes understanding the importance of catering to the community you’re in.

“It’s gonna be great,” Garza concludes. “I really can’t wait.”

For more information and updates about Maryjane’s Hideaway, follow it on Instagram @maryjanes_hideaway.