Dylan Brogan
608 Sports Bar lasted less than a year; Faded Kitchen hopes to feminize the space.
A new east side restaurant and bar, geared toward women, is in the planning for the Camelot Square shopping center. Faded Kitchen is set to replace the recently closed 608 Sports Bar & Restaurant at 1738 Fordem Ave.
The new establishment is the brainchild of Dominique Johnson, 23, who studied business at UW-Whitewater.
“Everyone needs a place to go where they feel comfortable,” says Johnson. “I feel like a lot of bars in Madison are geared towards men. That includes just how the place looks. And what kind of drinks and food they serve.”
Faded Kitchen will have soup, salads, pasta dishes and other “comfort foods,” says Johnson, along with gluten-free and vegetarian options on the menu. As for the drinks, Johnson plans on serving wine on tap, specialty coffee drinks as well as other bar staples.
This summer, Johnson is remodeling the space to make it “more inviting and look less like a sports bar.” This includes reducing the size of the bar itself, installing new floors and giving it a fresh coat of paint.
Faded Kitchen will also have a dedicated performance space. “I’m already talking to women artists about performing their music at the restaurant. I plan on having people play during the day and in the evening,” says Johnson. “I also want the restaurant to host art shows, poetry readings and open mics. It’ll be a place where people can showcase their work to the community.”
Johnson is opening Faded Kitchen with help from her family. One of her first jobs was working as a waitress in her dad’s former restaurant in Loves Park, Illinois.
“I’ve always wanted to run my [own] restaurant,” says Johnson. “It’s a little nerve-racking but it’s all coming together.”
Faded Kitchen has a date with the Alcohol License Review Committee on June 21.
