Mash offered a LineLeap VIP/no cover card to the first 50 people in line to use for the rest of the semester at the event. Some MSU students stood outside waiting in line for over two hours in hopes of getting their VIP pass.

Advertising management senior Elijah Dysarz was the first person in line for the opening. Dysarz said he arrived at 2:20 p.m. with his girlfriend to secure his spot.

“I wanted to make sure I got the top 50 for LineLeap. But, since I'm a senior, I just wanted a new bar, one where kids under 21 couldn't get it,” said Dysarz.

Dysarz is also a musician and enjoys hearing live music, which is another reason he said he was excited about this new establishment. 

Mash is the only bar in East Lansing that is currently offering live music. Live music is offered every Friday but still has live DJs on Thursdays and Saturdays. Bands and musicians can sign up to play on their website.

Dysarz said he hopes Mash will have a more “mature, chill vibe” than the other bars in East Lansing. He also said he hopes it won’t be “too rowdy.”

Behind Dysarz and his girlfriend was psychology senior Aiden Hogan, the third person in line who arrived at 3 p.m.

Similar to Dysarz, Hogan said he was excited about a brand new bar his senior year and the ability to bypass paying cover for the remainder of the semester. He also said he is excited about a new spot to hang out with his friends.

“I think it's going to be some like, something kind of like The Graduate hotel bar but maybe a little bit cheaper, economical for college students,” Hogan said.

After hours of waiting, students were able to file in after manager Rudy Richmond cut the ribbon for the official opening at 5 p.m.

Richmond said they are trying to do something new in East Lansing by opening Mash, especially with the unique factor of incorporating live music.

“We hope that would be a little something different that nobody else, I don’t think, does around here,” Richmond said. “And we're gonna have some upper-scale classic cocktails for people who actually care about craft cocktails.”

With more than 100 people waiting in line for the opening, Richmond said they had a good turnout. He said he was unsure of what to expect in terms of turn out and that he did not know if people knew about the grand opening. 

After 15 minutes of opening, Richmond said he had already received positive feedback from customers.

Richmond said the interior design is one of the great aspects of the bar, which includes a balcony looking over the stage and most of the bottom floor. 

“We put a lot of hard work into this. We got our woodworkers. Everything you see in there, they built themselves,” said Richmond "They took some old whiskey and wine barrels and stuff like that to build a decor in this restaurant.”

Mash has two other locations, including Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Mash is open Wednesday through Sunday and opens at 5 p.m. at 212 Albert Street.

“We really just hope people enjoy it and have fun here,” Richmond said.