War Room Tavern for political junkies opening in Albany, cigar bar next door
ALBANY — A New York City public-relations executive is working to open a politics-focused upscale bar and next-door cigar lounge on Eagle Street, near City Hall and just down the hill from the state Capitol.
Called the War Room Tavern, the bar is taking over 42 Eagle St., home from fall 2014 until the beginning of the pandemic to Public House 42. The building was purchased earlier this year from Public House 42’s owner, Albany restaurateur Chris Pratt, by Todd Shapiro, owner of Todd Shapiro Associates, a Manhattan public-relations firm with an expansive list of clients from Acme Films to Zan’s Kosher, Shapiro said.
He said he also bought the building next door at 40 Eagle. It is the former headquarters for Peter Young Housing Industries & Treatment, a nonprofit founded by the eponymous late priest dedicated to helping those dealing with addiction and emerging from incarceration. Shapiro intends to make over 40 Eagle into a cigar lounge called Todd’s Back Door, he said.
A mid-autumn opening is projected, Shapiro said Tuesday morning. He said he has applied for a liquor license for the War Room, although a State Liquor Authority spokesman said Tuesday the license for the property is still for Public House 42, and no new applications are yet pending. A temporary liquor license, the first step in the process for a full permit, currently takes about 30 days for approval, the spokesman said.
“Albany is the megacenter of New York politics,” Shapiro said. “I want to have a place for political junkies. It won’t be for everyone. We’ll be going after the legislators, lobbyists, people who work in government and anybody who loves politics.”
He said the War Room’s interior will be decorated with many types of political memorabilia, describing everything from campaign material from both presidents Roosevelt to, in an ideal world, one of the iconic hats worn by New York’s trailblazing congresswoman Bella Abzug.
“We want to hear from anyone who has some of this stuff that’s just gathering dust and wants to have it in a place where it will be seen,” said Shapiro, inviting contact via toddspr@yahoo.com. The tavern’s name is familiar in politics, including the state Capitol’s War Room with a ceiling mural and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s command center during World War II. It is also the title of a documentary about Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign.
The War Room will be an upscale tavern with quality steaks and sushi as well as lighter fare and a full bar, according to Shapiro. He said he intends to be open for lunch until late seven days a week.
“There’s no good sushi within easy walking distance of the Capitol, and I know from experience, if I’m in Albany in a hotel, it seems like everywhere is closing their kitchen at 9 (p.m.),” Shapiro said, adding, “The War Room is going to be open until midnight at least, because people want to have a place to go out late.” He said he hopes to get recipes for favorite dishes from politicians, or at least to include menu items he knows they enjoy, including chicken wings for Gov. Kathy Hochul and vanilla chai for Attorney General Letitia James.
The cigar lounge will have a private level for members, Shapiro said, as well as an area for walk-in customers who want to purchase and smoke cigars.
Combined, Shapiro said, the two businesses will be part of a wave of energy in a city rebounding from the pandemic, with more state and downtown employees continuing to return to offices and a busy legislative session expected starting in January.
“I don’t think there’s a more beautiful or more picturesque city in the world than Albany,” Shapiro said. “I want to help bring some more exciting things to it.”
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