Two businesses joined forces in one place to offer a cultural experience | Streetwise

DE PERE — A bar and a restaurant joined forces to offer cocktails, entertainment and Colombian food in one place.

The Porch and Colombian Flavors, opened in late June at 365 Main Ave., Suite D, in De Pere, the former spot of After: A Social Club. Jackson Mankowski, owner of the bar and Erly Barajas, of the restaurant, teamed up to offer a cultural experience.

"I had a vision initially just for The Porch," Mankowski said. "But I talked to the owners of The Cannery and told them about my business and that I had a kitchen too."

Colombian Flavors was one of the many restaurants that were part of the kitchen incubator The Cannery. Barajas was also the only one left when the place closed.

"For me it was a great experience," she said. "I learned a lot and people really enjoyed the food."

Barajas connected with Mankowski while still operating her restaurant at The Cannery, but after it closed at the end of March, they had a sit-down to talk about a possible partnership.

"She came over, we talked and she decided to rent out the kitchen from me," he said. "We said, 'okay, we are going to do this,' so it'll be 'Colombian Flavors at The Porch.'"

Mankowski said the first few months have been "really good" and they are both helping each other out.

"He is always asking me if there is anything I need," Barajas said. "It's been great and we've had good reviews."

Cocktails, live music and projection mapping was the initial plan

As a professional musician, born and raised in east De Pere, Mankowski planned a space for the community to get together and share cultural experiences. He built a small stage and with the help of a projector, the scenery behind can be changed. This also allows for art animations to be played, which is something he wants to expand on.

"We are hosting workshops here on Monday nights," he said. "I'm trying to get like a collective together that does projection mapping."

He also expects to have live music every Saturday. At the moment, he is still working on combining his work as a musician with event planning at the bar.

Mankowski said since culture can also be shared through food, that is where Barajas comes in as a great addition.

Colombian Flavors adds to the cultural scene at The Porch

Mankowski and Barajas said their partnership works very well as they complement each other. While one can focus on the bar operations and entertainment, the other can solely work on offering good food.

Right now she is offering dishes that are considered more like Colombian fast food, like empanadas, stuffed arepas, tacos and hot dogs. The plan is to expand the menu to offer items like bandeja paisa, a traditional dish that includes a wide variety of ingredients, such as rice, beans, grilled meat, chorizo, avocado, fried ripe plantain, pork rinds, egg and blood sausage; or sancocho, a stew made with vegetables and meats.

"People want those dishes," she said. "As soon as I finish the farmers markets I will focus one-hundred percent on that."

The bar and restaurant are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information visit theporchdepere.com or follow its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Ariel Perez is a business reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach him at APerez1@gannett.com or view his Twitter profile at @Ariel_Perez85.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: The Porch and Colombian Flavors join forces to offer a cultural mix