A brand new pop-up bar in Washington D.C., called the Cherry Blossom Pub has recently opened up and it features something you probably didn't expect from a hangout for adults of drinking age: a Super Mario themed lounge of sorts based on Nintendo's popular Italian plumber.
The Washingtonian is reporting that the owner of the Cherry Blossom Pub, Derek Brown, has been working with the team to completely build out a multi-themed pop-up bar based on Japanese culture and... Super Mario.
According to the article, the pub has replaced two previous outlets called the Mockingbird Hill and Southern Efficiency. The other two were smaller and narrow, and they would gather some long lines outside the door, but for the Cherry Blossom Pub, Brown had both the previous establishments combined so that they could create a multi-room setup, complete with two decked out sections featuring Super Mario.
There are three rooms in total, the first of which is a pink-and-white themed room with a cherry blossom motif based on the popular Japanese tree. The room imitates the zen atmosphere of a garden, where flowers, cats and tea cups come to meet.
The second room is where things get a little crazy. Brown explained that it might get a bit weird given that you'll be entering into a Super Mario themed domain. The second room features the theme music of the game playing across the speakers in the background, while visitors can see clouds, brick cubes, and question mark item boxes hanging from the ceiling. In fact, the light fixtures are designed to glow through the question marks, giving the appearance of a cool light-up effect.
Protruding from the ceiling are also sewer pipes, which give visits the impression that they might be in an upside down version of the popular fantasy world based on Nintendo's iconic property. The walls and back bar area are also adorned in thematic representations from the Super Mario franchise, with an 8-bit design of the pudgy Italian plumber resting on a shelf along with more green pipes and a bright blue background.
The bar and stool area where a Super Mario World aesthetic adorns the atmosphere isn't the only thing visitors can expect from the Cherry Blossom Pub. There's a third room centered around the "sinister" King Koopa, or Bowser, stashed away in the back room where visitors can lounge about and chat it up while enjoying the specials on the menu.
All three areas will contain the same items on the menu, so you don't have to worry about being in a specific section in order to benefit from any of the gastronomic amenities made available to patrons.
The article notes that the previous establishments would have waiting lines of up to three hours, but there's no telling how long the lines will be for the newly renovated Cherry Blossom Pub. I imagine with the popularity of the Nintendo Switch at the moment, and the Nintendo brands really taking hold of mainstream pop-culture recently, the lines could be pretty long. This establishment joins other restaurants and other outlets that have also themed some of their wares after Nintendo's properties, including an eatery in Japan based on Kirby's Dreamland.
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