Events
Social
Social is the third word in the name. It is the part that decides whether a place like this lasts.
Opening Mid-to-late October 2026
The room
A stage, and space in front of it
The building has a stage at the back and a dining room that holds a crowd. Both were here before us. We intend to use them.
One or two nights a week to start. Not because the room cannot take more, but because a night run badly is worse than no night at all. Get a couple of them right, then add.
What gets added is up to Portage. We will keep the nights people turn up for and let the rest go, and we would rather book fewer and pay properly for them than fill a calendar.
To be clear about what this is: Openhand is a restaurant and a neighborhood tavern that hosts things. It is not a nightclub, and we are not trying to be the last place open.
What we are planning
Nights we mean to run
None of these has a day or a start time yet. A night gets printed here with a day on it once it actually has one, because a schedule on the internet is a thing people drive across town for. Until then, read this as a list of intentions.
-
Karaoke
The stage, the sound system and a song list long enough that there is something on it for you. It is a natural fit for a room this size, so it is likely to be one of the first nights we put on the calendar.
-
Live music
Local and regional acts on the stage at the back of the room. We are looking for bands that suit a place where people are also eating dinner, and we would rather book fewer nights and pay properly for them.
-
Open mic
An open sign-up for musicians, and for anybody trying material out in front of people for the first time. We supply the stage, the sound and a set-length limit; you bring the rest.
-
Trivia
Written rounds, a host, and teams small enough to fit in a booth. A midweek night, when the dining room has the space for it and a Wednesday needs a reason.
-
Cribbage
Bracket play in the dining room, with a board and a deck on every table. Cribbage is already played in this town; we would like some of it played here.
-
Sheepshead and card nights
Sheepshead first, because this is Wisconsin, with room for euchre and whatever else a table wants to deal. Casual play to begin with, and a standing night if enough people keep turning up.
-
Community gatherings
The room seats a crowd, and a neighborhood always needs somewhere to hold things — a club meeting, a fundraiser, a table for a league night. Tell us what you have in mind and you will get a straight answer about the room.
Use the room
Clubs, leagues and fundraisers
A neighborhood needs somewhere to hold things. The dining room seats a crowd, and the stage and the sound are already in the building, so once we are open there is room here for a club meeting, a fundraiser, a league night, or a card night that has outgrown somebody's kitchen.
We cannot confirm a booking until we have run the room ourselves. Send a note now with what you have in mind and roughly when, and we will get back to you once the doors are open.