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Cruiser's Leads the Revivial of Midland St. with It's Unique Oxygen Bar By Robert E. Martin A decade ago when the notion of developing an entertainment 'destination' district running the length of Bay City's Midland Street was but one of many glimmers in the eyes of entrepreneur Art Dore, the now famous historic district was in need of both an infusion of capital and the attention of government leaders. Though consisting of a handful of successful establishments, the classic area was riddled with vacancies, which Dore sought to address by purchasing several Midland Street properties and subsequently developing into a slew of nightspots, each offering a distinct presence & variety into the Midland Street mix. The man Dore selected and charged with the responsibility of managing his Midland Street holdings was none other than Steve Ward. Formerly a successful manager at Saginaw's independently owned Casa del Rey, Ward possessed the drive, commitment, expertise, and savvy to help evolve the Midland Street area into a primary entertainment district that rapidly gained a statewide reputation for excellence. But eventually the burnout factor of managing five businesses took its toll, and five-and-a-half years ago Ward departed, taking a job selling bar & restaurant equipment for Michigan Carbonic. Steve Ward (right) hooks a patron up a patron to Cruisers' New 'Oxygen Bar' Within that time span, several of the Midland Street bars & restaurants such as the Sawmill, The Lumberjack, and Dore's Pharmacy and Cruiser's closed their doors, finding the area in a very similar position to where it was ten years ago. But if time equates with change then the pendulum is turning once again. With several of the previously closed establishments recently acquired by new owners, Steve Ward has returned once again to Midland Street, re-opening the 'anchor' nightclub Cruiser's Café and The Back Dore Saloon, and hoping to shepherd the Midland Street District to new heights of glory. Located at 312 E. Midland Street, Cruiser's Café has been totally refurbished, and Ward is genuinely excited about the many innovative additions he has added to the complex. "The primary goal was to bring Cruiser's back to what it was when it originally opened," explains Ward. "Cleanliness and freshness are the key. All the floors were stripped to bare wood and redone, we painted everything inside & out, and we are hoping to draw the type of clientele that reflects these changes." "We are courting singles and young couples, 21 and over that are looking to dance, have some drinks, and have a good time without causing problems or tearing the place up," continues Ward. In terms of entertainment, Ward says he is looking to feature local dance bands that play '80s style music that people can dance to. Currently the Back Dore is offering Karaoke and D.J. music weekly, with dance bands featured in Cruiser's Thursday through Saturday. Ward adds, however, that he may consider featuring original bands on Thursdays in the Back Dore at some future point. "I'd like to give every band a chance because they deserve to have a venue, so I'm not opposed to bringing in new bands if I can do it reasonably enough." Without doubt, the 'feather-in-the-cap' at the new Cruiser's is their one-of-a-kind Oxygen Bar. According to Ward, the idea came from Art Dore's personal assistant, Cheri Fisher. "A month ago there were 42 Oxygen Bars in the whole United States, most of them in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and a few in Florida and New York City," explains Steve. "Cruiser's features the only one in the midwest. There are none in Chicago, none in Detroit, none in Cleveland, and nothing in any of the major midwestern cities," continues Ward. "In fact, since we've re-opened, I've done 23 interviews on radio from Pittsburgh to Chicago," he laughs. So what exactly is an 'Oxygen Bar'? "The idea is to get pure shots of oxygen," Steve relates. "We don't use tanks, but have a generator that manufactures the oxygen. But you can't breathe pure oxygen because it will burn your nose up, so we blend the oxygen and place it through diffusers into flavored distilled water that comes in 21 various flavors." "Patrons breathe the oxygen through nose vents for about 10 minutes," notes Ward. "But after 20 minutes you get the true full effect. Essentially, it revives you, clears your brain, and makes you more attentive." Patrons purchase the rubber nose vents for a dollar and keep them, bringing them along the next time they want to visit the Oxygen Bar. The cost is $5 dollars for 10 minutes, and for an extra dollar you can enjoy a sound & light show by wearing electronic glasses that soothe the eyelids. "The first day we opened," smiles Steve, "I was here from 7 pm until close and then took everyone to The Texan and got home about 4:00 in the morning. I'd worked 22 hours and then had to return to handle deposits, and I was feeling terrible. I slapped the Oxygen vents on for about 40 minutes and 30 minutes later I felt great. It definitely works. It's not going to make you sober if you're drunk, but it does make you more attentive and helps your reactions." Is special licensing required with the Oxygen Bar? "No," answers Steve. "Because we're the first to offer this, and since we're not dealing with tanks, the oxygen is not as volatile. But you can't be smoking around it, so we put up a barrier to keep people a few feet away. We're very strict about it." Additionally, Cruiser's is offering a Ladies Night on Thursday as a lead-in to their live music weekends. "We are placing a lot of emphasis on catering to women," explains Steve. "Ladies will always be admitted free, and in a couple of weeks we hope to fill up Wednesday & Tuesday. By the end of the month, I'm hoping to be open Tuesday through Saturday in Cruiser's and 7 days in the Back Dore. We'll also be featuring a Hospitality Night on Sundays to capture what we once had at Beasty's." According to Ward, additional plans include installation of a VIP and 'Party Room' in the old Cruiser's kitchen. "I don't think any other establishment has one," notes Steve, "and it will be offered on a membership basis, or people can rent it for private parties & gatherings." Steve says a phone call from Art Dore convinced him to get back into the entertainment fold. "Art phoned me and asking me to participate in a meeting at City Hall that was geared to get the City Fathers to change their attitude about Midland Street and the entertainment district," he relates. "I met with them, gave my opinion, as did others, and they listened to us and decided to change and embrace what we're trying to do on Midland Street." "After that meeting, Art and I talked again, and he said, 'Hey, I've got to get the place open again, can you do it? I told him that it would probably cost more than he was willing to put in and that it would take at least $50,000 to get up to snuff. But Art agreed and we put new equipment in, spruced the place up, and I agreed to manage it, provided that I would have an option to buy Cruiser's after three months. So we'll see how things develop. I do miss the people and the fun, so I'm excited to be back." Insofar as Steve was a crucial player in the rise of Midland Street back during its heyday, why does he think the area fell off for awhile? "I think what happened is that everyone got 'busy', and then the Lumberjack opened and before you knew it all the clubs & restaurants were competing for the same business and not working on what was best for the street," he reflects. "The key is cooperation between the bars. We have new owners coming into the mix and old venues re-opening, so I'm hoping we get more cooperation between bar owners, and not just feeding off what a few of the people do." "The only way it works is to get bodies on the street and cooperate. There is more than enough business, we've proved that before, but I think people took it all for granted." "We're gonna get wild & wacky", concludes Steve. "Usually we're the trend setters for a lot of goofy things. Frankly, I don't know how we opened Cruiser's in 21 days, but give me another 21 and I guarantee people will be shaking their heads in amazement once again!"
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