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Segredo owner Michael Hierl hopes to bring some of the flavor and vibrancy of Brazil to Madison with the opening of his bowling lounge and restaurant Segredo.
After being inspired by the Boutique Bowling Lounge and Restaurant in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Hierl’s vision and opportunity came to fruition Jan. 15 when his establishment opened at the location formerly occupied by Madison Avenue on University Ave.
Boasting an array of four bowling lanes, numerous stations of Wii bowling, an assortment of Brazilian-inspired sports bar games and a “platos-style” menu that caters to a range of tastes, Segredo intends to be an entertainment venue unique to the area, the establishment’s website said.
Hierl owns the exclusive rights to boutique bowling technology in the United States. He said that by hiring Brazilian technicians to install the bowling and gaming technology, he hopes to maintain the unique cultural feel and niche in his establishment.
He emphasized the need to make a break with Madison Avenue in terms of entertainment and accepted behavior in the establishment.
Segredo’s cocktail napkins detail the “house rules” for customers, first and foremost, “be good or be gone.” Other rules listed on every napkin include “Gentlemen will remove their hats,” “No fighting, play fighting or talking about fighting” and “Please exit Segredo quietly. People are trying to sleep across the street.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, where the bar is located, said his expectations for Hierl’s business are high, noting he fully expects the comprehensiveness and attention to detail Hierl brought before the Alcohol License Review Committee to continue in his business practices.
“It’s a really amazing and unique concept, I can’t imagine it not being a success,” Verveer said.
A University of Wisconsin graduate, Hierl said he understands the drinking culture of Madison, but believes there should be a clear divide between enjoyment and irresponsibility.
He cited the lines that formed outside of Madison Avenue, the regular presence of police officers outside the establishment and rampant underage drinking.
“To put it simply, we don’t want a customer’s behavior to distract from the experience of another customer,” Hierl said. “We want to be part of the solution.”
IP hash: c7279c08
I’ve been there�
Here what i liked:
The Location The Lighting The Reservation System for Bowling (The call you when it’s your turn), that’s how lines to get in bars should be.
What I didn’t like The Music - they play really bad old songs..i know they don’t want to be a dance bar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play music from this century. The Food Portions - if it’s going to be appetizers as the whole menu there should make the serving size a lot smaller. I was with a group that ordered food and we thought we were going to share but the size of each (like each taco, burger, etc..) was large and few (instead of small and many) that it made things very awkward to share. The Drink Price - $3 for a non-alcoholic drink, at a real bar sobers/dd’s drink for free. $6.50 for drink�meanwhile there are super cheap drink specials everywhere else The Napkins - this bar places a lot of judgment blatantly at college-aged and minorities people,the whole rules on the napkin thing is defiantly going to make people come back less frequently.
didn’t actually bowl�if i ever go there again,i’ll try it. If there bring in a dj, i’ll go there again, but i think that is under them. them should make the sports bar a dance floor.
the drinks cost too much for the to spend too much time there…it’s going to be the cameo bar in Madison, like karaoke kid. but I think this place needs more money to operate than them, so it may go under. I wouldn’t waste my time there unless there’s a dj…the music was so terrible…it would take hours to get on the bowling(so i would leave and not be there when called)…there are wii’s there but i’m not going to stalk people already on them to use them..wii’s are first come, first serve, sit on them as long as you like..so by the time you get there some yuppie happy hour squatter will be on it for the whole night….28yo’s and 18yo’s (not to mention me) in the same bar…i see that happening.
IP hash: 6eadf113
Are you kidding? A bar with good drinks, a friendly staff and tapas right on campus - I love the place! The drinks are actually about the same or less vs. any nice bar on the square, and even less than the neighboring bars on that block.
My friends and I are going back because the games are fun, the place is clean and you don’t have to worry about idiots spilling beer all over you. If you want cheap beer specials, you’re right — this place is probably not for you.
IP hash: c7279c08
This proves it…. segredo really had an bad attitude towards college age people in the preliminary stages,in the ALRC discussions they spent the whole time talking about how they wouldn’t be a college bar; in the promotion…they had all these preview parties that reached out to the older folks, isthmus readers, not incorporating or acknowledging college students…what happened???
well by 10pm opening night it was a ghost town…
that’s why now, begrudgingly, they are making a play a the college kids by having a preview party through the herald. if they would have had this in mind before opening weekend it would have been this weekend not next.
I have no major problems with segredo, but it really rubbed me the wrong way that they seem so anti-youth when it’s obvious that being on University Ave they will be the life blood of the establishment.
they seem to be on the path of fixing this, at which point i personally will have nothing bad to say about segredo except that their music isn’t the best…and please change those napkins before the kids come…that’s going to piss people off.
IP hash: a2ca90e9
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but Segredo’s preview party with the Herald was scheduled at the Herald’s request, and it’s been planned for the 29th since before winter break. The Herald wanted to hold the event when their readers were back in town for a bit, not right away.
The goal we have at Segredo is to be a place where students, young professionals, downtown residents and visitors to Madison can all enjoy the place — but the later the hour, the more likely the crowd will be mostly students and the more likely the music will be tailored to student preferences. Earlier in the evening, the music will be programmed for young professionals for example. Finally, we wouldn’t have located Segredo in Madison without the UW and it’s student population. We don’t charge a cover, offer great drink specials (like last night’s $3.50 mojitos) and have terrific tasting/reasonably priced food, free Wii games & wi-fi — plus four lanes of bowling and the biggest large screen tv in town to watch music videos or the game.
We invite everyone in to check us out!