KALAMAZOO, MI- As you listen to the smooth, soothing harmonies of jazz, soul, funk, disco, hip-hop and R&B classics, envision this ambiance in a lively atmosphere. The only Black-owned and operated cocktail lounge, Dabney & Co. will bring new entertainment, delicacies and style to downtown Kalamazoo beginning this summer.

 

“The diverse community that makes up Kalamazoo and the good, honest souls I’ve met in the last 13 years of living here assure me this is the perfect city to launch an experience,” Daniel J May, owner of Dabney & Co., affirms.

 

The pandemic left businesses and buildings empty temporarily and permanently, including a heritage, brick building with its character and sweeping high copper ceilings sitting on the corner of N Rose St and W Kalamazoo Ave. This presented an opportunity for May, entrepreneur and owner of event management company Public Skool. A staple in the Kalamazoo community, May is renowned for curating cultural events, including one of the very first Juneteenth celebrations in the city.

 

To continue its original and bold commemoration of the holiday, May is announcing his newest project, Dabney & Co. It’s an elegant cocktail lounge where patrons will indulge in fresh, hand-crafted beverages and savor classic soul food with a unique spin, served as tapas. All are welcome to the charming, stylish space to enjoy live, curated entertainment like powerful soul musicians.

 

Led by the dynamic motto “Liberation Through Spirits,” the establishment pays homage to the hardworking Black mixologists and service staff who went unrecognized and without thanks throughout history. The heritage and history are discreet yet bold, woven within the establishment’s design. Even its name, Dabney & Co. honors a once-enslaved John Dabney, the first renowned Black bartender who was credited with crafting “hail-storm” mint juleps.

 

After a century, the creativity and resilience of Dabney influences a new generation like May. “What feels most satisfying is the excitement growing within the community for this project. As I go through the process of establishing the business each time I share this story, my story, the genuine support grows just as great as the eagerness.”

 

 

A serial entrepreneur, Daniel J May’s start in business in Kalamazoo began with the Greenleaf Trust Scholarship granting him the opportunity to complete his bachelor’s at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business. Through his most recent venture until now May put on Sunday day-parties throughout Kalamazoo in addition to his renown cultural events, including one of the very first Juneteenth celebrations in the city, later the Juneteenth Freedom Dinner, and Afrofest. An MBA student at University of Illinois’s Gies College of Business, May is thrilled to bring his next vision to life.

 

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