Every generation experiences that sudden moment when they feel disconnected from the contemporary and there’s a hip new generation at the cultural helm.
For millennials, that moment is now, leaving them nostalgic for a time when “SpongeBob SquarePants” ruled Nickelodeon or when Britney Spears and Beyoncé were on the rise. Enter Kevin De Nicolo, founder of Zero Lounge, a new Y2K-themed bar opening in Hollywood on Friday, Nov. 22.
De Nicolo, 32, spent most of his 20s playing in various bands, DJing at bars on the weekends, composing for films and videogames. In his run as a DJ, he fell in love with the nightlife, and ideas for a space by millennials for millennials began to manifest into a real business venture.
“I’ve been to a few ’80s bars and wondered what an ’80s bar would look like for millennials or something like a Mel’s Diner, which has that ’50s look to it,” De Nicolo said during a recent phone interview. That’s when it occurred to him: why not create a space where the music and aesthetics could call back to a nostalgic era for a millennial crowd?
De Nicolo’s Zero Lounge is a love letter to his generation, written in bright purple and neon colors inspired by the cyberpunk visuals of the 1995 techno-thriller “Hackers.” It’s designed as a nod to the new millennium, with a cocktail menu inspired by early aughts pop culture. The lounge blends nostalgia with chic modernity, welcoming Y2K enthusiasts and new generations to take a step back and relive the iconic vibes of the era.
Zero Lounge features a 38-foot LED screen that spans the entire ceiling to the floor, designed by Master of Shapes, who has done projects for SoFi Stadium and the US Open. Astro AVL designed its DJ booth to look like an authentic 2000s bedroom, decorated with pop culture posters like the “The Matrix” film, a vintage TV glowing with static when not playing VHS tapes, and iconic knickknacks such as the Furby and the T-Mobile Sidekick.
“The best nostalgia isn’t the stuff you remember; it’s the stuff you forgot about,” he said. “We’ve dug deep to find some cool things that people are going to look at and that they haven’t thought about in a while. We’re tapping into our innermost nostalgia, which will resonate with people more authentically.”
Bop-Its, Game Boys and classic fast food restaurant toys won’t be the only Y2K nod. The menu includes 12 signature drinks like the Bikini Bottoms Up, Limewire, Fresh Prince Fizz, Friends Frappe, Titanic Tea, Spice Girl Sour, Basil Patch Kid, Nokia Nectar and the Tamagotchi Tea. Guests looking for a zero-proof drink can also choose from four non-alcoholic mocktails. As an avid music venue goer, De Nicolo wanted to ensure the bar’s drinks were special, not just another vodka Red Bull for $20, so he said at least three cocktails will be rotating each season.
“Come for the vibes and the music, but you’re going to want to stay for the drinks,” he said. “My favorite is the After School PB & J, made with peanut butter whiskey and a strawberry, blackberry, lemon-citrusy blend. It tastes like a peanut butter jelly sandwich and is so good.”
De Nicolo clarified that some of the drinks may have ’90s references, but he said that’s because at the bar’s heart, it’s aimed at being nostalgic for millennials, and as a one himself, he feels a reverence for some of the ’90s culture. He measures the nostalgia of the Y2K era from the mid-’90s to the mid-aughts. But bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden didn’t make the cut as they go too far back in time, according to De Nicolo.
Some of the soundtracks Zero Lounge will focus on include the era’s best pop-punk, emo, hip-hop and top 40 hits. There are also plans to focus on electronic music, emphasizing trance and even hosting a “Shrek” rave night. De Nicolo is also a videogame enthusiast and plans on hosting acts like The Icarus Kid who specialize in combining videogames with EDM.
“We’re going to have people dancing to the Wii Shop Channel music and some Lo-Fi beats with ‘Zelda’ music,” he said. “We’re gonna get deep in the nerdy. It’s a creatively rich idea, and I don’t want to limit us. There’s endless possibilities.”
Future programming at the bar will include a T9 texting contest and pop culture trivia nights related to the aughts. While this bar is nostalgia-driven, De Nicolo said it isn’t meant to be a flex of “back in my day” generational supremacy or dismissive of the current trends. He hopes to create a space for people to connect over drinks and offer in-person socializing for a generation that grew up on the internet and the ones who don’t know a world without it.
“We’re a super online generation, but no one seems very happy with that,” he said. “People want a reason to come out, connect, and meet new people. Everyone is on dating apps which is cool, but everyone complains about how it sucks all the time. People crave personal connections, and that’s what also makes what we’re doing here appealing.”
Zero Lounge will be open starting Nov. 22 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., Wednesday to Sunday, at 1710 N. Hudson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90028.
Related Articles
Recipe: What are you planning to do with your leftover turkey? Try making this dish
First look inside the reimagined Panda Inn in Pasadena
Original Panda Inn reopens in Pasadena after a massive makeover
Thanksgiving 2024: These chain restaurants will be open and serving turkey dinners
Fall means peak persimmon time