The Tempe crowd that refuses to make the trek to Scottsdale for a fancy cocktail is now in luck. Scottsdale has come to Tempe.
At least that’s the feel inside Mill Avenue’s newest bar/lounge, Whip. The bondage-themed venue opened up underneath Gordon Biersch a few weeks ago to a happy crowd, welcoming the rather surprising addition to the Tempe bar crawl.
Owner Brandon Shriver says that the lounge was at capacity for the opening. “Thank God we were overstaffed,” he says, something that he learned from running the bar that used to be housed in the same location. Shriver has been a bar owner in the building for five years, and his faith is now in Whip and the new option it will provide Tempe. “We know a lot of Tempe goes to Scottsdale when they want to go somewhere nice,” he says.
Nice is one way of describing Whip. The lounge is decidedly swankier than it’s neighbors on the Avenue. A long red-velvet-backed couch sits against an entire wall. The black floors shine like the polished leather outfits of the seductresses in the wall art. A crystal chandelier surrounded by hanging metal chains gives off the perfect mix of fancy, sexy and hardcore vibes the lounge is trying to be known for.
It’s clear that the décor is on the minds of patrons — from the car rim table tops to the stairs labeled with sweet nothings like tease, nibble and dominate.
“I think it’s really interesting,” education senior Marissa Glaviano says on her first visit to Whip. “I think a lot of people at ASU have money, and they want to go someplace upscale,” she says. Glaviano says she plans on going back to Whip after her first introduction to the lounge.
Marketing senior Chris Johnson also appreciated the upscale feel of the lounge, but wasn’t sure that it would keep it’s fragile footing on Mill. “Honestly, I don’t know if Tempe can support it. It really needs community support,” Johnson says. “I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s a good atmosphere though.”
Staying within their theme, the lounge supplies drinkers with aptly named cocktails. The Whiplash is a fruity-puree and alcohol mix of sweetness, while the Blue Balls comes with an electric blue color and tangy taste.
Whether or not the cocktails keep coming, Whip is definitely giving Mill a sexy refresher. Hopefully it can whip some of those dirtier bars on the block into shape.
If You Go:
Whip Lounge
420 S. Mill Ave. #101, Tempe
www.myspace.com/whiplounge
