When New Society, the speakeasy cocktail bar in the basement of Monstera Mezcaleria & Natural Wine Bar, announced its closure in late 2025, owner Michael Fricker hinted at a new concept to replace it. Now, the news is official. A low-key neighborhood cocktail bar called Mother May I is set to open in the beloved Monstera basement space, bringing a playful, dive-minded approach to drinks, food and hospitality.
Slated to open later this winter, Mother May I blends a serious cocktail program with the price point and energy of a true dive bar. The concept leans intentionally inclusive, both in vibe and in cost.
“I don’t go out very often, but when I have lately, I’ve been spending exorbitant amounts of money,” Fricker said. “We really wanted to make sure we were accessible to anybody who wanted to come in, across different groups, lifestyles, and economic stresses. Going out for a $14 or $16 cocktail, add food or a few shots, and suddenly you’re at $80. That’s difficult.”
At Mother May I, draft beer will hover around $3 a pint, with cocktails capped at $12. The menu will include freezer martinis, daiquiris, and a focused list of six to eight original cocktails, alongside an extensive shot list. Beer-and-shot combinations are designed for groups and late nights, reinforcing the idea that great drinks don’t need to be precious.
“It’s not going to be the weird stuff New Society did,” Fricker said. “But it’s still us. We’re still creative bartenders, still hyper-refined and fun, just not as out there. It’s cocktail-oriented, but it’s meant to be really fun.”
One of the bar’s most playful offerings is a group-shot experience that comes with a Polaroid camera. Guests take a photo together, with one print to take home for each guest in the party and another stamped with the bar’s logo and added to the ceiling.
“I don’t even know how we came up with it,” Fricker said. “It came from hanging out and talking about dive bars, shots and doing something memorable. It’s meant to have fun and give people something to remember the night by.”
The food menu follows the same intentionally unserious philosophy. Expect $3 hot dogs, taquitos, Twinkies and rotating snacks designed to complement an evening of drinking rather than a full meal out. The bar will also offer tongue-in-cheek “Happy Meals,” pairing beer and a shot or a freezer martini with a hot dog and a toy.
“We wanted to build something that feels like home,” Fricker said. “This is how we actually drink, how we actually go out, and how we think bars should feel.”
The space itself will undergo a noticeable shift from its previous iteration. While the bar placement and core layout will remain, the rest of the room is being reworked into a more tropical, neighborhood dive atmosphere, with eclectic furniture, church pew seating, palm trees and layered decor.
Mother May I will keep a low-profile entrance, continuing a semi-speakeasy approach with no exterior signage. The bar will move away from reservations, however, operating as walk-in only. A “no vacancy” sign will signal when the space is full.
Beyond drinks and food, Mother May I is leaning hard into community programming. Guests can roll bar dice Wisconsin-style for a chance at a free pint, play weekly bar bingo on Wednesdays, and attend Family Meal Sundays, a weekly industry-only gathering featuring a free buffet and special cocktails that was inspired by a similar offering at one of his favorite bars in Washington, D.C.
“This is something I really fell in love with,” Fricker said. “There’s something powerful about a group of bartenders hanging out, eating together, and uplifting each other. We don’t really see each other very often. It felt like the perfect time to do it.”
Family Meal Sundays will begin at 8 p.m., with a rotating buffet and occasional guest bartenders from around the city.
The bar’s name, Mother May I, reflects both nostalgia and personal meaning for Fricker. “My mom is a huge part of my life,” he said. “Holiday dinners, staff meals, everyone ends up at my mom’s house. The name just stuck. It rolls off the tongue.”
Mother May I is expected to open in late February, pending final inspections. The bar will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight.If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out our podcast episode with Fricker that aired last summer.