No troll toll required at ‘Always Sunny’ pop-up

Replay+Lincoln+Park%2C+2833+N.+Sheffield+Ave.%2C+is+set+to+open+a+Its+Always+Sunny+in+Philadelphia+pop-up+bar%2C+renovating+the+space+to+look+like+Paddys+Pub+from+the+show%2C+from+March+9+to+17.

Mackenzie Crosson

Replay Lincoln Park, 2833 N. Sheffield Ave., is set to open a “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” pop-up bar, renovating the space to look like Paddy’s Pub from the show, from March 9 to 17.

By Miranda Manier

The Worst Bar in Philadelphia will be making a stop in the Windy City until March 18—Yuck Puddle and all— as Replay Lincoln Park hosts an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” pop-up bar.

Replay Lincoln Park, 2833 N. Sheffield Ave., opened its Paddy’s Pub pop-up March 9. The pop-up is scheduled to close March 18, though dates may be flexible after the last pop-up, a “Rick and Morty”-themed arcade, was extended for two weeks.

According to owner Mark Kwiatkowski, the pop-up will feature many “Always Sunny” inspired events, including an “Always Sunny” trivia night and a “Flipadelphia” flip-cup tournament. It will also host a musical revue of “The Night Man Cometh,” a musical from the show, on March 18. Drinks will be based on fan favorite gags from the show such as Fight Milk, Rum Ham and Riot Punch. 

“[This pop-up] was a no-brainer,” Kwiatkowski said. “The show is so funny. [It has] amazing content that it was [an obvious choice]. People were bending my ear about it off and on for a couple months, and it just clicked that, ‘Oh, we have to do it for St. Patrick’s Day.’” 

Kwiatkowski thought Replay Lincoln Park, as an arcade bar, might not be a go-to option for bargoers on St. Patrick’s Day and hoped the pop-up could help make it a destination. 

Jason Heidel, founder of MakeGrandmaSmile.org, which connects millennial artists to Alzheimer’s patients, hosted a smash room, for which people are charged a fee to enter a room where they can destroy fragile objects with a baseball bat. The event was held March 9 with the possibility of future dates throughout the pop-up’s run, according to Heidel. 

The room was modeled after the Winner’s Circle from CharDee MacDennis, a game created and played by the show’s protagonists, which ends with the winners destroying action figures that represent the losers. Smashable objects at Heidel’s smash room included action figures, whiskey bottles and porcelain figurines, “Like Charlie’s mother might have,” according  to Heidel.

“We had done a smash room [with Replay Lincoln Park] back in December, where people smashed holiday decorations,” Heidel said. “We wanted to do another one [together], and then [Mark] told me he was doing the pop-up for ‘Always Sunny’ and we were like, ‘Yes. CharDee MacDennis.’” 

Miranda Morin, a junior public relations major and fan of  “Always Sunny,” thought the pop-up sounded impressive.

“It’s awesome,” Morin said. “‘It’s Always Sunny’ has developed a cult fan base. There’s definitely an audience that wants to see [this], especially in Chicago.” 

When Kwiatkowski announced the pop-up, he thought it was going to have the down-and-dirty aesthetic and vibe of the show itself. When people responded so enthusiastically over social media, however, he knew that could not be the case and he would have to step up his game.

“The reaction to it was so over the top and I said, ‘God, we have to deliver. We can’t just turn it into a version of Paddy’s Pub and call it a day,’” Kwiatkowski said. “’We have to figure out how to do Night Man Cometh, we have to find some other fun stuff.’ So we did.”