’Tis the season for Miracle, the pop-up Christmas bar returning to Lincoln's Robber's Cave
As a small business owner for almost 20 years, Tony Manzitto has a hard time turning his brain off when it comes to new ideas.
Such was the case when he and his wife Leah were in Kansas City a couple of years ago for their daughter's cheer competition. They went to catch dinner with some friends, who just happened to be coming back from Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up bar in the Power & Light District.
"I'm like, I gotta check this place out," Manzitto said. "And so we went there and checked it out and I was just like, 'Holy crap, this is awesome.' And on the way home from Kansas City, I told my wife Leah ... I'm doing Miracle next year, hands down. I'm doing it."
Next year was 2023, when Manzitto brought the Miracle bar concept that began in New York City in 2014 to Lincoln's Robber's Cave for the first time, transforming the underground attraction into a veritable Winter Wonderland to much success. So much so that reservations to sip festive cocktails inside the holiday bar — where the bartenders wear Christmas sweaters and string lights, ornaments and tinsel are ubiquitous — were hard to come by.
"Our biggest issue is that we don't have enough room for people that want to visit," Manzitto told the Journal Star last year.
Luckily, for those who missed out on the festivities last year, Manzitto is reprising Miracle at Robber's Cave for another holiday season starting Wednesday through Dec. 31.
This week, he put finishing touches on the space that includes new features, like an animatronic Buddy the Elf and 10-foot-tall abominable snowman, a gaudy, velvet Santa's throne chair, giant nutcrackers, more LED signs and, of course "more lights," in addition to favorites from last year, like a "snow globe" room that can be reserved.
"I wanted to buy the biggest Christmas decorations that I could find essentially, because when people walk in, I want them to just be in awe of everything," Manzitto said in a recent phone interview. "The floor to ceiling needs to be covered in Christmas."
Manzitto — and his wife, family, friends and others who help him set up Miracle — was on a tighter deadline this year to do just that because of a promise he made to guests from a local doctor's office who visited last year who wanted to host their annual holiday party in the space. In order to allow them to book the entire space, Manzitto agreed to let them hold their party before the Nov. 20 grand opening.
"I normally have several weeks to get this all done. I didn't have that this year because I agreed to do that Christmas party, so I only have 15 days to get this all together," said Manzitto, who couldn't get into the space at Robber's Cave until Nov. 1.
But that early start is, in fact, a good thing, since it will give Manzitto's staff an opportunity to practice making the labor-intensive festive cocktails and mocktails on the menu. Those include seasonal concoctions with names like The Krampus, Crooked Antler, Snowball Old-Fashioned, Run Run Reindeer and Santa Slide.
The bar also serves food, including charcuterie boards, antipasto skewers, chips and salsa, popcorn and candied nuts and is introducing this year hot, made-to-order options like fried pretzel bites, spring rolls and tater tots.
For those not in the mood for a festive drink, normal bar offerings will be available as well.
"You can get a rum and Coke, you can get a glass of wine, you can get a beer," Manzitto said. "We sold tons and tons of beer last year."
Reservations for Miracle at Robber's Cave come in two-hour time slots for a table — which are $10 per person on the weekdays and $15 on the weekends. Walk-ins get in for free, but Manzitto encourages those who want a table to book in advance due to high demand. Bar seating is also available.
"The reservations are going nuts," said Manzitto, who owns a number of Scooter's Coffee locations in Lincoln and Kansas.
Bingo will be offered on select Tuesdays, as well as live music on certain nights. Merchandise is also available, including the popular Miracle cups that are new to each season (this year's is a dinosaur-inspired mug called the Christmasaurus).
Miracle is open Monday-Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sundays from 2-10 p.m.
For Manzitto, the wildly popular pop-up bar is about giving Lincolnites something to do in the winter.
"For six weeks ... this is just an awesome place for friends and family to go hang out and dress up in their Christmas best or their ugly Christmas sweaters and just have a great time."
Contact the writer at or 402-473-7225. On Twitter Love With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food.
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