Like the phoenix, Arriba rose from the ashes of the Holiday Bar, although not literally! The long and interesting history of the building involves the Railroad, madams, ghosts and a certain "Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer", but we won't go there! Built in the late 19th century, the building has passed through numerous owners and has become a part of Butler's history.
The building was constructed in the early 1900's by the Gettleman Brewery as a company owned tavern. In the 1950's, the bar was leased by Leifer to become Leifer's Tap. After a few years, Leifer subleased the property to Ellen Smoley and renamed it to Smoley's Tap; an interesting condition in the lease required the Gettleman Beer sign to remain on the building, and Gettleman beer to be on tap at all times.
In the 1970's, Miller Brewery purchased Gettleman Brewery and received the property in the sale. Ellen Smoley then purchased the property from Miller and after a few years sold it to Clarence & Agnes Rillings and it was renamed to Rilling's Bar. In 1975 the Rillings sold the property to Bill Marks and it was once again renamed - Holiday Bar.
The Holiday Bar quickly became a favorite stop with the motorcyclists of the day with its friendly bartenders and reasonable prices. With its close proximity to to that "Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer" plant on Capital Drive, now known as Powertrain Operations, word soon spread throughout the plant making the Holiday Bar popular with the employees looking for a place to unwind after work. The Holiday was so popular, and the atmosphere was so comfortable, that all levels of employees from the machine shop to the executive level, from Adam to Willie, tipped a few as bikers.
After a time, the Holiday Bar opened a kitchen to cater to the needs of the customers. It was during this time that the famous 1/2 pound Holiday Burger was created. Sadly, in 1981, the founder passed-away and the bar was inherited by the family and operated by daughter Betty who had worked there since her teens.
The Holiday continued as a popular biker spot but Betty wanted more. In 2000, she made plans to expand the business and enlisted the help of her brother Louie and Peggy Markopoulos. The Arriba restaurant opened in 2001 and was immediately successful. Word of mouth spread outside of Butler bringing-in newer clientele. Seeing the shift in business, Betty made plans to complete the metamorphosis and took full ownership of the business. In 2004, the Bar was completely remodeled into a cozy lounge and renamed Arriba Lounge.
Betty made sure that the new look was both comfortable for the Holiday clients, yet upscale enough for the restaurant crowd. The Lounge now combines the best of an intimate bar with a contemporary decor. It now features table seating for up to 30 diners, or can accommodate parties up to 50.