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For decades, Babe’s Lounge has been a beloved place to gather and enjoy friends and refreshment. Originally established on Main Street in Benton Harbor in 1958 by James “Babe” Couvelis, the current location opened in 1976. Until recently, Babe’s was held and operated by the Couvelis family.
On Thursday, April 20, Keith Polaskey (owner of Heaven Scent Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning) formally closed the deal on purchasing Babe’s from Pauline Couvelis. Keith and his wife Angela will operate the business and have already begun a series of renovations. The first update was to the name. Instead of Babe’s Lounge, it is now Babe’s Riverview Bar and Grill.
RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY
“New floors, new ceiling, new vents, new walls, a new dance floor, sports bar TVs, a new audio system, 20 new security cameras. I always like to talk about the 12-foot video screen that comes out of the ceiling on the other side of the dance floor where we’ll catch the camera on top of the Whitcomb Tower to watch the boats come in and out,” said new owner Keith Polaskey.
Keith plans to do as many renovations as possible from now until the weather gets warmer. He plans additional renovations as time allows this summer to add open-air patio seating connected to the main bar area, complete with a grill station and fire pits.
PRESERVING THE LEGACY
While there will be a lot that’s new, the new owners are careful to say they are preserving the good things that made Babe’s a welcoming place.
“There’s so much history (at Babe’s). We have so many friends and followers who’ve come here for years and they’re excited for us and excited to see some changes, but yet they still want it to ‘the Babe’s,” said Angela Polaskey. “We want to keep people feeling welcome and needed and wanted. We need them (our patrons). Clearly, we’re nothing without them.”
The building suffered significant water damage after last December’s cold snap just before Christmas. Keith said a lot has been repaired physically, but as for the business’s reputation, he said there’s still more to do.
“A lot of people in this neighborhood and St. Joe and Stevensville, thought (the building) was closed and condemned. They had no idea this bar was still open. This bar has been open since 1976 and Babe Couvelis was an amazing man. We want to keep that legacy going. We’re just going to change it up a little bit,” said Polaskey.
NEW HOURS, NEW SERVICES
He said Babe’s will now be open on Saturdays and Sundays for sporting events including college and professional football, NASCAR, golf, and otherwise.
As someone with hospitality experience at Point O’ Woods and elsewhere, Angela said Babe’s will soon offer on-site event hosting and off-site catering services.
INVESTING AT THE RIGHT TIME
Keith said the whole Riverview Drive area is getting some much-needed development, and the time is right to invest.
“Riverview Drive is up and coming and we’re very excited to hear about future plans here. The 400 Riverview Drive Group wants to put in condos and 50 (transient) boat docks, right across the street from Babe’s. New transient boat slips, new condo owners — all those people are going to need a place to eat and come hang out. We just want to be a part of that. We think this is going to be a good 10 to 12 year run,” said Polaskey.
Asked why he picked the 10-12 year figure, Keith laughed and said he’s already operated another successful business locally for the last 20 years, and he’ll keep doing that in addition to running Babe’s Riverview Bar and Grill. He said at some point, he should think about getting into “…a little retirement.”
“All the stuff that we used to do a home, now we get to enjoy a lot more people and do it in our own bar,” said Polaskey.
