VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: The Cabinet Room: An inside scoop about Harvey’s Garden’s new speakeasy
Casey Lange: A stone’s throw away from the Marshall Street bar scene lies Harvey’s Garden which prides itself on one thing: community. Meet Michael Greene, the owner of Harvey’s Garden who deeply values the atmosphere his bar brings to the area.
Michael Greene: Sometimes when you look out during a big event and it’s full outside and everyone’s having fun. That’s really just enjoyable to see.
Lange: From weekly bingo nights to Buffalo Bills watch parties, to delicious food and drink offerings. Harvey’s has it all. While Harvey’s Garden is known for its community, what people might not know it for is the speakeasy that just recently opened that lies inside. On your way to the bathroom, you’ll find the Cabinet room, which Greene tells me used to just be some dead space.
Greene: I’ve got this leftover windowless room, and how do you utilize it in a way that isn’t creepy and weird?
Lange: After working for the Syracuse Common Council, Greene took inspiration from the city’s history to create the cabinet room. After all, Harvey’s Garden isn’t named after nothing.
Greene: Harvey’s is named after Harvey Baldwin, who was the first mayor of Syracuse. And so I kind of came up with the idea that this was Harvey’s cabinet. A special room themed to look like you were walking into his office.
Lange: To become a member of the cabinet room, you must earn points through the bar’s reward system. Then, you will receive an invitation to join the cabinet which features elections, fun drinks, special tastings, and more. Reporting from Syracuse for NCC News, I’m Casey Lange.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — A few blocks away from the Marshall Street bar scene lies Harvey’s Garden which prides itself on one thing: community. Ever since its opening, Harvey’s has been a spot where college students and local residents come together to enjoy all it has to offer.
Michael Greene, the owner of Harvey’s Garden deeply values the atmosphere his bar brings to the area. He enjoys being able to see his vision come to life each and every day.
“Sometimes when you look out during a big event, and it’s full outside and everyone’s having fun,” Greene said. “That’s really just enjoyable to see.”
From weekly bingo and trivia nights, to Buffalo Bills watch parties, to delicious food and drink offerings, Harvey’s has it all to foster the perfect environment. While Harvey’s Garden is known for all of these aspects that make their bar so unique. What people might not know it for is the speakeasy that just recently opened inside.
On your way to the bathroom, you’ll find The Cabinet Room, which Greene tells me used to just be some dead space.
“I’ve got this leftover windowless room, and how do you utilize it in a way that isn’t creepy and weird?”
From storage closet, to speakeasy, The Cabinet Room is Harvey’s newest addition. When asking Greene about the inspiration behind the speakeasy, he referenced his time on the Syracuse Common Council. Greene took inspiration from the city’s history to create the concept. After all, Harvey’s Garden isn’t named after nothing.
“Harvey’s is named after Harvey Baldwin, who was the first mayor of Syracuse. And so I kind of came up with the idea that this was Harvey’s cabinet,” Greene said. “A special room themed to look like you were walking into his office.”
To become a member of the cabinet room, you must earn points through the bar’s reward system. Then, you will receive an invitation to join the cabinet which features cabinet elections, fun drinks, special tastings and more.
As of today, they have a little over 100 members, and they hope to keep it growing steady.