When Ryan Golden and Matt Field were students at MSU, they worked together at Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub and joked about someday opening their own bar.
On Friday, their hopeful plan turned into reality when Golden's bar, called Plan B, celebrated its grand opening in Chicago. Golden co-owns the bar with his friend Mark Perres, and Field works as the general manager.
Plan B aims to be authentic, comfortable and convenient, Golden said, adding that he wants people to think of the bar as a reliable, more affordable option to the city's more upscale nightlife.
"People are going to go out, arrive at their destinations and ask themselves, 'Why should I pay a $20 cover charge?'" Golden said. "We want them to think, 'Forget this, let's go to Plan B.' There will always be Plan B."
To compare it to East Lansing bars, Golden said it has the atmosphere of P.T. O'Malley's combined with the comfort of Club 131.
He said Plan B hopefully will be an MSU nightlife destination, since Chicago is filled with MSU alumni.
"If you walk in here, you won't see pennants, jerseys or neon," Golden said. "It's a Spartan atmosphere because of the people."
About 20 percent of Plan B's employees are MSU graduates, which include Field, four bartenders and a server, Golden said.
"A lot of bars claim to have an East Lansing influence because they have an MSU flag in the window," Field said. "We call ourselves a Spartan bar because of our principles, not our decor."
Golden developed the concept for Plan B about seven years ago when he graduated from MSU with a degree in advertising. Field graduated in 2002 with a degree in supply chain management.
"Supply chain is a broad business degree," Field said. "It teaches you how to build relationships in general, which helps with managing a bar."
When Field graduated from MSU, he immediately moved to California and got a job working for Mercedes-Benz. He said he was satisfied with his job, but not truly happy.
"I wanted to do something I was passionate about," Field said. "If you can love what you do and make money, you have it all."
Field visited Chicago one weekend and stayed with Golden, and when it came time for him to leave, he couldn't stop thinking about the city.
The next week, he put his Orange County condo on the market, and it sold in one week. He packed his bags and moved to Chicago, where he helped Golden open the bar.
"If I wanted to do this and make the move, I had to do it right away," Field said. "It's about taking risks and never settling if you're not truly happy."
Golden and Field had a successful grand opening last weekend, with lines starting at 9:30 p.m. and about 1,400 people in attendance for the two nights.
"We did what (we) aimed to achieve," Golden said. "People responded well to the atmosphere."
Plan B's main goal is to keep prices reasonable when it comes to food, drinks and cover charge.
"Some places ask $300 for a bottle and $20 cover," Golden said. "That's just not us."
Golden said he is looking forward to everything the future has to offer.
"I wanted to be close to MSU," Golden said. "I have to pop back for homecoming and, of course, the Michigan (vs.) Michigan State game.
"I've been in the business for a long time and opened bars and clubs for everyone else. This one is for me."
