Blue Agave owners Greg Arthur and Derek Kamarta recently transformed their Mill Avenue restaurant into The Loft, a lounge that has attracted a mix of college students and clubgoers since it opened Feb. 4.

When I swung by the bar on a Friday night, I couldn't help but notice the similarities to Jax Thai Bar, which resided in Blue Agave/The Loft location not that long ago. Like Jax, The Loft is dimly lit and the bar resembles a loft, making it look like something out of the New York nightlife scene.

There are turquoise (I think — it was pretty dark) sofas, big cushy chairs and an upstairs and downstairs area to relax, also reminiscent of Jax.

“(Jax) had the same type of vibe they're going for,’’ customer Joy Hearn, 28, of Scottsdale, says of the bar, which offers a light food menu. “The set up is very similar ... This is a nice change from the same old college bars
down here.’’

Unlike a lot of the Tempe college bars, The Loft projects a sophisticated feel. Colorful art work adorns the walls and large Chinese paper lanterns are suspended from the ceiling. Two cute bartenders pour shots behind a big bar downstairs, and a DJ, who is positioned upstairs, spins hip-hop and R&B music, playing everything from Usher to Color Me Badd. There are also a couple of golf video games, which seem out of place in the lounge setting.

Although it is 10:30 p.m., the bar doesn't start jumping until closer to midnight. And it is filled with a mainly twentysomething crowd, which drinks everything from draft beer to martinis.

Another customer, Bryan Ryder, says that he never liked the location as Blue Agave.

“It's about time they changed it back into a bar again,’’ says Ryder, 24, of Tempe. “I like their cheap drinks.’’

The bar serves $1 drafts and well drinks from 9 to 10 p.m. nightly. Hearn says that she hopes the bar thrives on Mill Avenue.

“Hopefully they won't meet the same fate as Jax,’’ she says.

The Loft

Where: 420 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
Hours: 11 to 1 a.m. daily
FYI: The bar offers $1 drafts and well drinks from 9 to 10 p.m. nightly
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